The health ministry of Karnataka on Wednesday reported a spike of 1,272 fresh coronavirus positive cases. The state reported five cases more than its previous single-day highest spike record of 1,267 cases on Sunday.

According to the Health Ministry, 507 deaths and 18,653 new cases have been reported in the last 24 hours.

The health department said, out of 8,194 active cases, 7,902 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and stable, while 292 are in ICU.

Meanwhile, with 16,241 people testing positive for COVID-19 in a single day, India's case count reached 602,033 on Wednesday while the death toll rose to 17,786 with 418 new fatalities, according to the data provided by Worldometer.

ICMR has tested over 2.17 lakh samples tested in the last 24 hours, total tests cross 88.26 lakh.

In the six months since the World Health Organization (WHO) first reported a cluster of mysterious pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China, more than 500,000 people have died from the coronavirus. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The health ministry of Karnataka on Wednesday reported a spike of 1,272 fresh coronavirus positive cases. The state reported five cases more than its previous single-day highest spike record of 1,267 cases on Sunday.

The health ministry of Karnataka on Wednesday reported a spike of 1,272 fresh coronavirus positive cases. The state reported five cases more than its previous single-day highest spike record of 1,267 cases on Sunday. According to the Health Ministry, 507 deaths and 18,653 new cases have been reported in the last 24 hours. The health department said, out of 8,194 active cases, 7,902 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and stable, while 292 are in ICU. Meanwhile, with 16,241 people testing positive for COVID-19 in a single day, India's case count reached 602,033 on Wednesday while the death toll rose to 17,786 with 418 new fatalities, according to the data provided by Worldometer. ICMR has tested over 2.17 lakh samples tested in the last 24 hours, total tests cross 88.26 lakh. In the six months since the World Health Organization (WHO) first reported a cluster of mysterious pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China, more than 500,000 people have died from the coronavirus. (With inputs from agencies)

Karnataka records biggest single-day spike of 1,272 COVID-19 cases, seven deaths

The head of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday said that for the past week, the number of new cases has exceeded 160,000 on every single day.

WHO chief was addressing a virtual briefing on the deadly coronavirus pandemic. "Sixty per cent of all cases so far have been reported just in the past month," he said.

"The fastest way out of this pandemic is to follow the science and do what we know works: the comprehensive approach," he said. 
“Not testing alone. Not physical distancing alone. Not contact tracing alone. Not masks alone. Do it all,” he added.

In the six months since the World Health Organization (WHO) first reported a cluster of mysterious pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China, more than 500,000 people have died from the coronavirus.

More than 10.59 million people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19, while more than 5.8 million have recovered, and 515,006 have died, according to Worldometer.

Country-wise, the United States remains the most affected country, with 2,727,853 coronavirus cases and 130,122 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,408,485 cases, deaths 59,656), Russia (647,849 cases, 9,320deaths), and India (585,792 cases, 17,410 deaths).

(With inputs from agencies)

The head of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday said that for the past week, the number of new cases has exceeded 160,000 on every single day.

The head of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday said that for the past week, the number of new cases has exceeded 160,000 on every single day. WHO chief was addressing a virtual briefing on the deadly coronavirus pandemic. "Sixty per cent of all cases so far have been reported just in the past month," he said. "The fastest way out of this pandemic is to follow the science and do what we know works: the comprehensive approach," he said. “Not testing alone. Not physical distancing alone. Not contact tracing alone. Not masks alone. Do it all,” he added. In the six months since the World Health Organization (WHO) first reported a cluster of mysterious pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China, more than 500,000 people have died from the coronavirus. More than 10.59 million people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19, while more than 5.8 million have recovered, and 515,006 have died, according to Worldometer. Country-wise, the United States remains the most affected country, with 2,727,853 coronavirus cases and 130,122 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,408,485 cases, deaths 59,656), Russia (647,849 cases, 9,320deaths), and India (585,792 cases, 17,410 deaths). (With inputs from agencies)

Over 160,000 Covid-19 cases reported every day in the past week: WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

With 16,241 people testing positive for COVID-19 in a single day, India's case count reached 602,033 on Wednesday while the death toll rose to 17,786 with 418 new fatalities, according to the data provided by Worldometer.

ICMR has tested over 2.17 lakh samples tested in last 24 hours, total tests cross 88.26 lakh.

In the six months since the World Health Organization (WHO) first reported a cluster of mysterious pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China, more than 500,000 people have died from the coronavirus.

More than 10.59 million people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19, while more than 5.8 million have recovered, and 515,006 have died, according to Worldometer.

Country-wise, the United States remains the most affected country, with 2,727,853 coronavirus cases and 130,122 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,408,485 cases, deaths 59,656), Russia (647,849 cases, 9,320deaths), and India (585,792 cases, 17,410 deaths).

(With inputs from agencies)

With 16,241 people testing positive for COVID-19 in a single day, India's case count reached 602,033 on Wednesday while the death toll rose to 17,786 with 418 new fatalities, according to the data provided by Worldometer.

With 16,241 people testing positive for COVID-19 in a single day, India's case count reached 602,033 on Wednesday while the death toll rose to 17,786 with 418 new fatalities, according to the data provided by Worldometer. ICMR has tested over 2.17 lakh samples tested in last 24 hours, total tests cross 88.26 lakh. In the six months since the World Health Organization (WHO) first reported a cluster of mysterious pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China, more than 500,000 people have died from the coronavirus. More than 10.59 million people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19, while more than 5.8 million have recovered, and 515,006 have died, according to Worldometer. Country-wise, the United States remains the most affected country, with 2,727,853 coronavirus cases and 130,122 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,408,485 cases, deaths 59,656), Russia (647,849 cases, 9,320deaths), and India (585,792 cases, 17,410 deaths). (With inputs from agencies)

16,241 fresh cases take India's COVID-19 tally to over 6 lakh

Maharashtra's coronavirus case tally rose to 1,74,761 on Tuesday with the addition of 4,878 new patients while the death toll mounted by 245, including 57 fatalities in Mumbai, to 7,855, the state health department said.

This is for the first time in the last five days that the number of the average daily cases has fallen below 5,000 in the state.

A total of 1,951 coronavirus patients were discharged during the day, taking the number of the recovered cases in the state to 90,911.

There are 75,995 active cases in Maharashtra now.

A total of 9,66,723 people have been tested for coronavirus infection and 18.07 per cent of them have tested positive.

Of the 245 deaths being added to the tally, 95 had occurred in the last 48 hours, the department said.

The fatality rate stands at 4.49 per cent while the state recovery rate is 52.02 per cent.

Mumbai reported 57 deaths and 893 new cases in the day.

A total of 5,78,033 people are currently placed under home quarantine while 38,866 others are in institutional quarantine, it said.

Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) reported 3,075 new cases in the day.

Pune city reported 816 new cases in the day and Aurangabad 128 new cases.

The COVID-19 figures in Maharashtra are as follows: positive cases 1,74,761, deaths 7,855, recoveries 90,911, active cases 75,995, and people tested so far 9,66,723.

Maharashtra's coronavirus case tally rose to 1,74,761 on Tuesday with the addition of 4,878 new patients while the death toll mounted by 245, including 57 fatalities in Mumbai, to 7,855, the state health department said.

Maharashtra's coronavirus case tally rose to 1,74,761 on Tuesday with the addition of 4,878 new patients while the death toll mounted by 245, including 57 fatalities in Mumbai, to 7,855, the state health department said. This is for the first time in the last five days that the number of the average daily cases has fallen below 5,000 in the state. A total of 1,951 coronavirus patients were discharged during the day, taking the number of the recovered cases in the state to 90,911. There are 75,995 active cases in Maharashtra now. A total of 9,66,723 people have been tested for coronavirus infection and 18.07 per cent of them have tested positive. Of the 245 deaths being added to the tally, 95 had occurred in the last 48 hours, the department said. The fatality rate stands at 4.49 per cent while the state recovery rate is 52.02 per cent. Mumbai reported 57 deaths and 893 new cases in the day. A total of 5,78,033 people are currently placed under home quarantine while 38,866 others are in institutional quarantine, it said. Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) reported 3,075 new cases in the day. Pune city reported 816 new cases in the day and Aurangabad 128 new cases. The COVID-19 figures in Maharashtra are as follows: positive cases 1,74,761, deaths 7,855, recoveries 90,911, active cases 75,995, and people tested so far 9,66,723.

Maharashtra COVID-19 cases up by 4,878 to over 1.74 lakh; toll 7,855

Tamil Nadu's COVID-19 count crossed the 90,000 mark with almost 4,000 new cases for the third back to back day on Tuesday and with 60 deaths.

Chennai recorded the most noteworthy single day increment of 2,393 cases and the rest of spread across the state.&nbsp;

While the State capital's aggregate portion of infection cases till date was 58,327, Tamil Nadu's count remained at 90,167.

India’s tally has risen from 548,318 to 566,840, an increase of 3.4%. The death toll has reached 16,893, with 418 fatalities in a day. India is the fourth-most-affected country by total cases, and eighth by death toll.

The net increase in active cases across India is 5,005, compared with 7,069 on Monday. The states that have reported the biggest 24-hour jump inactive cases are Maharashtra (2,691), Tamil Nadu (1,675), Karnataka (910), Telangana (559), and Rajasthan (376).

With 13,099 new recoveries being reported, India’s recovery rate has improved marginally to 59.1%; death rate remains unchanged at 3%.

(With inputs from agencies)

Tamil Nadu's COVID-19 count crossed the 90,000 mark with almost 4,000 new cases for the third back to back day on Tuesday and with 60 deaths. Chennai recorded the most noteworthy single day increment of 2,393 cases and the rest of spread across the state.

Tamil Nadu's COVID-19 count crossed the 90,000 mark with almost 4,000 new cases for the third back to back day on Tuesday and with 60 deaths. Chennai recorded the most noteworthy single day increment of 2,393 cases and the rest of spread across the state. While the State capital's aggregate portion of infection cases till date was 58,327, Tamil Nadu's count remained at 90,167. India’s tally has risen from 548,318 to 566,840, an increase of 3.4%. The death toll has reached 16,893, with 418 fatalities in a day. India is the fourth-most-affected country by total cases, and eighth by death toll. The net increase in active cases across India is 5,005, compared with 7,069 on Monday. The states that have reported the biggest 24-hour jump inactive cases are Maharashtra (2,691), Tamil Nadu (1,675), Karnataka (910), Telangana (559), and Rajasthan (376). With 13,099 new recoveries being reported, India’s recovery rate has improved marginally to 59.1%; death rate remains unchanged at 3%. (With inputs from agencies)

Coronavirus cases in Tamil Nadu surge ahead of Delhi as tally mounts to 90,167

Tamil Nadu's Higher Education Minister KP Anbazhagan has tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted to a private hospital.

Anbazhagan is part of COVID-19 control team and oversees control measures in North Chennai.

With 18,522 people testing positive for COVID-19 in a single day, India's case count reached 5, 66,840 on Tuesday while the death toll rose to 16,893 with 418 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The number of active cases stands at 2, 15,125, while 3, 34,821 people have recovered, and one patient has migrated, according to the updated data at 8 am.

More than 10.4 million people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19, while more than 5.69 million have recovered, and 508,804 have died.

Country-wise, the United States remains the worst-hit country with 2,681,778 cases and 128,777 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,370,488 cases, deaths 58,385), Russia (641,156 cases, 9,166 deaths), and India (567,536 cases, 16,904 deaths).

(With inputs from agencies)

Tamil Nadu's Higher Education Minister KP Anbazhagan has tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted to a private hospital. Anbazhagan is part of COVID-19 control team and oversees control measures in North Chennai.

Tamil Nadu's Higher Education Minister KP Anbazhagan has tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted to a private hospital. Anbazhagan is part of COVID-19 control team and oversees control measures in North Chennai. With 18,522 people testing positive for COVID-19 in a single day, India's case count reached 5, 66,840 on Tuesday while the death toll rose to 16,893 with 418 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The number of active cases stands at 2, 15,125, while 3, 34,821 people have recovered, and one patient has migrated, according to the updated data at 8 am. More than 10.4 million people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19, while more than 5.69 million have recovered, and 508,804 have died. Country-wise, the United States remains the worst-hit country with 2,681,778 cases and 128,777 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,370,488 cases, deaths 58,385), Russia (641,156 cases, 9,166 deaths), and India (567,536 cases, 16,904 deaths). (With inputs from agencies)

Tamil Nadu's higher education minister tests positive for coronavirus

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the nation, his sixth such televised address since the outbreak of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/garib-kalyan-anna-yojana-extended-till-november-says-pm-narendra-modi-309653">Also read: Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana extended till November, says PM Narendra Modi</a> 
 
"In comparison to other countries across the globe, India is still in a very stable situation in the battle against Covid-19. Timely decisions and measures have played a great role," PM Modi said.

Here are the Highlights of PM Narendra Modi's speech

1: PM urged everyone to observe all the safety precautions: "This is a matter of concern. We had taken all precautions during the lockdown and now we have to take all necessary precautions, particularly those living in containment zones,".

2: In comparison to other countries, India is still in a very stable situation, in the battle against COVID-19. Our death rate is under control. Timely decisions and measures have played a great role.

3: One Nation One Ration Card scheme is being actively worked upon. Such a ration card will help those who travel away from their home states.

4: We announced a package of Rs 1.75 lakh crore under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana. Rs 31,000 crore have been deposited in bank accounts of 20 crore poor families in the last 3 months.

5: PM Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana will be extended till the end of November, an extension to cost over Rs 90 thousand crores.

6: Under PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, govt will provide free ration to 80 crore poor citizens. Each member of the family will get 5 kg of wheat or rice. Also, every family will get 1 Kg of whole chana per month. This will be free of cost.

7: "Be it central government, state governments, civil society, everyone has ensured that the poor don't go hungry," PM Modi said.

8: We are entering in Unlock 2. The festive season is at hand. Also is the season of cough and fever. We should take care of our health.

9: PM Modi expressed gratitude towards farmers and the honest taxpayers without whom the government would not have been able to provide help to the poor.

10: "Whether village Pradhan or country's Pradhan Mantri, no one is above rules," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the nation, his sixth such televised address since the outbreak of the coronavirus outbreak in the country. Also read: Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana extended till November, says PM Narendra Modi "In comparison to other countries across the globe, India is still in a very stable situation in the battle against Covid-19.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the nation, his sixth such televised address since the outbreak of the coronavirus outbreak in the country. Also read: Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana extended till November, says PM Narendra Modi "In comparison to other countries across the globe, India is still in a very stable situation in the battle against Covid-19. Timely decisions and measures have played a great role," PM Modi said. Here are the Highlights of PM Narendra Modi's speech 1: PM urged everyone to observe all the safety precautions: "This is a matter of concern. We had taken all precautions during the lockdown and now we have to take all necessary precautions, particularly those living in containment zones,". 2: In comparison to other countries, India is still in a very stable situation, in the battle against COVID-19. Our death rate is under control. Timely decisions and measures have played a great role. 3: One Nation One Ration Card scheme is being actively worked upon. Such a ration card will help those who travel away from their home states. 4: We announced a package of Rs 1.75 lakh crore under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana. Rs 31,000 crore have been deposited in bank accounts of 20 crore poor families in the last 3 months. 5: PM Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana will be extended till the end of November, an extension to cost over Rs 90 thousand crores. 6: Under PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, govt will provide free ration to 80 crore poor citizens. Each member of the family will get 5 kg of wheat or rice. Also, every family will get 1 Kg of whole chana per month. This will be free of cost. 7: "Be it central government, state governments, civil society, everyone has ensured that the poor don't go hungry," PM Modi said. 8: We are entering in Unlock 2. The festive season is at hand. Also is the season of cough and fever. We should take care of our health. 9: PM Modi expressed gratitude towards farmers and the honest taxpayers without whom the government would not have been able to provide help to the poor. 10: "Whether village Pradhan or country's Pradhan Mantri, no one is above rules," the Prime Minister emphasized.

From Covid-19 guidelines to Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana: Highlights of PM Modi's speech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the nation, his sixth such televised address since the outbreak of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

"In comparison to other countries across the globe, India is still in a very stable situation in the battle against Covid-19. Timely decisions and measures have played a great role," PM Modi said.

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Prime Minister extended the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Ann Yojna till November 30 in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the scheme, over 80 crore people are entitled to free five kilos of free wheat or rice, and an additional one kilo of anyone pulse per family. The scheme was launched in March after the imposition of lockdown to ensure that loss of livelihoods and restriction on movement should not compound the issue of hunger amongst India's poorest.

"We are planning to bring 'One Nation, One Ration Card'. Now a ration card is also being arranged for the whole of India. The biggest benefit of this will be to those poor colleagues who leave their village and go elsewhere for employment or other needs," announced PM Modi.&nbsp;

"In the last three months, Rs 31,000&nbsp;crore have been deposited directly into Jan Dhan accounts of 20 crore poor families. During this time, 18 thousand crore rupees have been deposited in the bank accounts of more than 9 crore farmers," the PM said.

India is at a very crucial phase in its fight against COVID-19 and on Tuesday the tally rose to 5, 66,840. The death toll rose to 16,893 with 418 ore persons succumbing to the virus.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the nation, his sixth such televised address since the outbreak of the coronavirus outbreak in the country. "In comparison to other countries across the globe, India is still in a very stable situation in the battle against Covid-19.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the nation, his sixth such televised address since the outbreak of the coronavirus outbreak in the country. "In comparison to other countries across the globe, India is still in a very stable situation in the battle against Covid-19. Timely decisions and measures have played a great role," PM Modi said. #LIVE | Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) addresses the nation https://t.co/2ivFA3jRxR — WION (@WIONews) June 30, 2020 × Prime Minister extended the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Ann Yojna till November 30 in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the scheme, over 80 crore people are entitled to free five kilos of free wheat or rice, and an additional one kilo of anyone pulse per family. The scheme was launched in March after the imposition of lockdown to ensure that loss of livelihoods and restriction on movement should not compound the issue of hunger amongst India's poorest. "We are planning to bring 'One Nation, One Ration Card'. Now a ration card is also being arranged for the whole of India. The biggest benefit of this will be to those poor colleagues who leave their village and go elsewhere for employment or other needs," announced PM Modi. "In the last three months, Rs 31,000 crore have been deposited directly into Jan Dhan accounts of 20 crore poor families. During this time, 18 thousand crore rupees have been deposited in the bank accounts of more than 9 crore farmers," the PM said. India is at a very crucial phase in its fight against COVID-19 and on Tuesday the tally rose to 5, 66,840. The death toll rose to 16,893 with 418 ore persons succumbing to the virus.

Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana extended till November, says PM Narendra Modi

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday released Unlock-2 guidelines which will be in force till July 31.

"Lockdown shall continue to remain in force in containment zones till July 31. In containment zones, only essential activities to be allowed," the press release issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said, while also listing the specific details on what would be allowed and what remains prohibited.

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According to the Unlock 2 guidelines, Social/ political/ sports/ entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ religious functions and other large congregations remain prohibited.&nbsp;

Metro Rail services shall remain shut and cinema halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places will also not be allowed to open.&nbsp;

All activities apart from those prohibited will be allowed outside containment zones. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday released Unlock-2 guidelines which will be in force till July 31. "Lockdown shall continue to remain in force in containment zones till July 31.

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday released Unlock-2 guidelines which will be in force till July 31. "Lockdown shall continue to remain in force in containment zones till July 31. In containment zones, only essential activities to be allowed," the press release issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said, while also listing the specific details on what would be allowed and what remains prohibited. #UNLOCK2: National directives for #COVID19 management; wearing of face cover is compulsory in public places, workplaces and during transport. pic.twitter.com/WJTjkhxqO9 — ANI (@ANI) June 29, 2020 × According to the Unlock 2 guidelines, Social/ political/ sports/ entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ religious functions and other large congregations remain prohibited. Metro Rail services shall remain shut and cinema halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places will also not be allowed to open. All activities apart from those prohibited will be allowed outside containment zones. (With inputs from agencies)

Schools, colleges, cinemas to remain shut till July 31: Centre issues guidelines for Unlock 2.0 

By Claire Crossan

The novel coronavirus – SARS-CoV-2 – may have been in Europe for longer than previously thought. Recent studies have suggested that it was circulating in Italy as early as December 2019. More surprisingly, researchers at the University of Barcelona found traces of the virus when testing untreated wastewater samples dated March 12, 2019.

The study was recently published on a preprint server, medRxiv. The paper is currently being subject to critical review by outside experts in preparation for publication in a scientific journal. Until this process of peer review has been completed, though, the evidence needs to be treated with caution.

So, how was the experiment conducted and what exactly did the scientists find?

One of the early findings about SARS-CoV-2 is that it is found in the faeces of infected people. As the virus makes its way through the gut – where it can cause gastrointestinal symptoms – it loses its outer protein layer, but bits of genetic material called RNA survive the journey intact and are “shed” in faeces. At this point, it is no longer infectious – as far as current evidence tells us.

But the fact that these bits of coronavirus RNA can be found in untreated wastewater (known as “influent”) is useful for tracking outbreaks. Indeed, they can predict where an outbreak is likely to occur a week to ten days before they show up in official figures – the reason being that people shed coronavirus before symptoms become evident. These “pre-symptomatic” people then have to get sick enough to be tested, get the results, and be admitted to a hospital as an official “case”, hence the week or so lag.

As a result, many countries, including Spain, are now monitoring wastewater for traces of coronavirus. In this particular study, wastewater epidemiologists were examining frozen samples of influent between January 2018 and December 2019 to see when the virus made its debut in the city.

They found evidence of the virus on January 15, 2020, 41 days before the first official case was declared on February 25, 2020. All the samples before this date were negative, except for a sample from March 12, 2019, which gave a positive result in their PCR test for coronavirus. PCR is the standard way of testing to see if someone currently has the disease.

PCR involves getting samples of saliva, mucus, frozen wastewater or whatever else the virus is thought to be lurking in, clearing all the unnecessary stuff out of the sample, then converting the RNA – which is a single strand of genetic material – into DNA (the famous double-stranded helix). The DNA is then “amplified” in successive cycles until key bits of genetic material that are known to only exist in a particular virus are plentiful enough to be detected with a fluorescent probe.

Not highly specific 
 
In coronavirus testing, scientists typically screen for more than one gene. In this case, the researchers tested for three. They had a positive result for the March 2019 sample in one of the three genes tested – the RdRp gene. They screened for two regions of this gene and both were only detected around the 39th cycle of amplification. (PCR tests become less “specific” with increasing rounds of amplification. Scientists generally use 40 to 45 rounds of amplification.)

There are several explanations for this positive result. One is that SARS-CoV-2 is present in the sewage at a very low level. Another is that the test reaction was accidentally contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 in the laboratory. This sometimes happens in labs as positive samples are regularly being handled, and it can be difficult to prevent very small traces of positive sample contaminating others.

Another explanation is that there is other RNA or DNA in the sample that resembles the test target site enough for it to give a positive result at the 39th cycle of amplification.

Further tests need to be carried out to conclude that the sample contains SARS-CoV-2, and a finding of that magnitude would need to be replicated separately by independent laboratories.

Reasons to be circumspect 
 
A curious thing about this finding is that it disagrees with epidemiological data about the virus. The authors don’t cite reports of a spike in the number of respiratory disease cases in the local population following the date of the sampling.

Also, we know SARS-CoV-2 to be highly transmissible, at least in its current form. If this result is a true positive it suggests the virus was present in the population at a high enough incidence to be detected in an 800ml sample of sewage, but then not present at a high enough incidence to be detected for nine months, when no control measures were in place.

So, until further studies are carried out, it is best not to draw definitive conclusions.

(Claire Crossan is Research Fellow, Virology, Glasgow Caledonian University)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
 
 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/was-coronavirus-really-in-europe-in-march-2019-141582">original article</a>) &nbsp;

By Claire Crossan The novel coronavirus – SARS-CoV-2 – may have been in Europe for longer than previously thought. Recent studies have suggested that it was circulating in Italy as early as December 2019.

By Claire Crossan The novel coronavirus – SARS-CoV-2 – may have been in Europe for longer than previously thought. Recent studies have suggested that it was circulating in Italy as early as December 2019. More surprisingly, researchers at the University of Barcelona found traces of the virus when testing untreated wastewater samples dated March 12, 2019. The study was recently published on a preprint server, medRxiv. The paper is currently being subject to critical review by outside experts in preparation for publication in a scientific journal. Until this process of peer review has been completed, though, the evidence needs to be treated with caution. So, how was the experiment conducted and what exactly did the scientists find? One of the early findings about SARS-CoV-2 is that it is found in the faeces of infected people. As the virus makes its way through the gut – where it can cause gastrointestinal symptoms – it loses its outer protein layer, but bits of genetic material called RNA survive the journey intact and are “shed” in faeces. At this point, it is no longer infectious – as far as current evidence tells us. But the fact that these bits of coronavirus RNA can be found in untreated wastewater (known as “influent”) is useful for tracking outbreaks. Indeed, they can predict where an outbreak is likely to occur a week to ten days before they show up in official figures – the reason being that people shed coronavirus before symptoms become evident. These “pre-symptomatic” people then have to get sick enough to be tested, get the results, and be admitted to a hospital as an official “case”, hence the week or so lag. As a result, many countries, including Spain, are now monitoring wastewater for traces of coronavirus. In this particular study, wastewater epidemiologists were examining frozen samples of influent between January 2018 and December 2019 to see when the virus made its debut in the city. They found evidence of the virus on January 15, 2020, 41 days before the first official case was declared on February 25, 2020. All the samples before this date were negative, except for a sample from March 12, 2019, which gave a positive result in their PCR test for coronavirus. PCR is the standard way of testing to see if someone currently has the disease. PCR involves getting samples of saliva, mucus, frozen wastewater or whatever else the virus is thought to be lurking in, clearing all the unnecessary stuff out of the sample, then converting the RNA – which is a single strand of genetic material – into DNA (the famous double-stranded helix). The DNA is then “amplified” in successive cycles until key bits of genetic material that are known to only exist in a particular virus are plentiful enough to be detected with a fluorescent probe. Not highly specific In coronavirus testing, scientists typically screen for more than one gene. In this case, the researchers tested for three. They had a positive result for the March 2019 sample in one of the three genes tested – the RdRp gene. They screened for two regions of this gene and both were only detected around the 39th cycle of amplification. (PCR tests become less “specific” with increasing rounds of amplification. Scientists generally use 40 to 45 rounds of amplification.) There are several explanations for this positive result. One is that SARS-CoV-2 is present in the sewage at a very low level. Another is that the test reaction was accidentally contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 in the laboratory. This sometimes happens in labs as positive samples are regularly being handled, and it can be difficult to prevent very small traces of positive sample contaminating others. Another explanation is that there is other RNA or DNA in the sample that resembles the test target site enough for it to give a positive result at the 39th cycle of amplification. Further tests need to be carried out to conclude that the sample contains SARS-CoV-2, and a finding of that magnitude would need to be replicated separately by independent laboratories. Reasons to be circumspect A curious thing about this finding is that it disagrees with epidemiological data about the virus. The authors don’t cite reports of a spike in the number of respiratory disease cases in the local population following the date of the sampling. Also, we know SARS-CoV-2 to be highly transmissible, at least in its current form. If this result is a true positive it suggests the virus was present in the population at a high enough incidence to be detected in an 800ml sample of sewage, but then not present at a high enough incidence to be detected for nine months, when no control measures were in place. So, until further studies are carried out, it is best not to draw definitive conclusions. (Claire Crossan is Research Fellow, Virology, Glasgow Caledonian University) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article)

Was coronavirus spreading in Europe in March 2019?

India records highest single day spike of nearly 20,000 coronavirus cases, 410 deaths India on Sunday recorded the highest single day spike of 19,906 novel coronavirus cases and 410 COVID-19 related deaths in the last 24 hours.

India records highest single day spike of nearly 20,000 coronavirus cases, 410 deaths India on Sunday recorded the highest single day spike of 19,906 novel coronavirus cases and 410 COVID-19 related deaths in the last 24 hours. India's total number of positive cases stand at 5,28,859 including 2,03,051 active cases, 3,09,713 cured/discharged/migrated and 16,095 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Also read: COVID 19: India crosses 5 lakh mark with highest single-day spike of 18,552 cases This is the first time since the pandemic hit India, the country has reported more than 19,000 fresh infections in a single day. India is the fourth worst-hit country in the world by the pandemic after the United States, Brazil and Russia. India crossed 5 lakh coronavirus cases on Saturday with Maharashtra and Delhi worst affected by the virus. An inexpensive, widely used steroid dexamethasone was included in the treatment protocols for COVID-19 patients in moderate to severe stages of illness among other therapeutic measures by the Union health ministry on Saturday.

India records highest single day  spike of nearly 20,000 coronavirus cases, 410 deaths

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said Delhi conducted the highest number of COVID-19 tests in a single day on Friday and added, 20000 tests are being conducted daily.

"Delhi conducted highest no of tests in a singly day yesterday- 21,144. We have increased testing 4 times. Delhi now following strategy of very aggressive testing and isolation," Kejriwal tweeted.

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He also said that the Delhi government has bought 4000 oxygen concentrators for COVID-19 patients, he said in a press briefing.&nbsp;

''In the last one week, the number of beds has increased significantly. There are 13500 beds present in Delhi now, of which 6500 are occupied,'' he said.&nbsp;

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said Delhi conducted the highest number of COVID-19 tests in a single day on Friday and added, 20000 tests are being conducted daily.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said Delhi conducted the highest number of COVID-19 tests in a single day on Friday and added, 20000 tests are being conducted daily. "Delhi conducted highest no of tests in a singly day yesterday- 21,144. We have increased testing 4 times. Delhi now following strategy of very aggressive testing and isolation," Kejriwal tweeted. We have bought 4000 oxygen concentrators for #COVID19 patients: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal https://t.co/Md19aE4pXv — ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2020 × He also said that the Delhi government has bought 4000 oxygen concentrators for COVID-19 patients, he said in a press briefing. ''In the last one week, the number of beds has increased significantly. There are 13500 beds present in Delhi now, of which 6500 are occupied,'' he said.

Delhi following 'very aggressive' COVID-19 testing, conducted highest number of tests on June 26: Kejriwal

Maharashtra on Friday registered 5,024 new coronavirus cases — highest in one day so far, taking the tally of cases in the state to 1, 52,765, while the number of fatalities reached 7,106 with 175 new deaths.

Maharashtra on Friday registered 5,024 new coronavirus cases — highest in one day so far, taking the tally of cases in the state to 1, 52,765, while the number of fatalities reached 7,106 with 175 new deaths. According to the state health department, Out of the total 175 deaths, 91 deaths are of last 48 hours, and 84 deaths are of previous dates but recorded today. Currently, there are 65,829 active cases in the state. Over 78,000 patients have recovered from the virus until now. Meanwhile, India recorded the highest daily spike of 17,926 new coronavirus cases and 407 deaths in the last 24 hours. Coronavirus cases in India stand at 4, 90,401 including 1, 89,463 active cases, 2, 85,637 cured/discharged/migrated and 15,301 deaths, as reported by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The national capital Delhi is being compared to New York now as the state has crossed the 70,000 mark with 3,390 new positive cases, 64 deaths and 3,328 recoveries reported in Delhi in the last 24 hrs. The total number of positive cases in Delhi stands at 73,780, including 44,765 recovered/discharged cases and 2,429 deaths. (With inputs from agencies)

Maharashtra reports over 5,000 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours; state's tally crosses 1.5 lakh 

Most special trains from migrant rich states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal towards cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Bangalore are scheduled to run on 100 per cent occupancy over the next four days, the Railways said Friday, adding that it was a sign of economic revival.

These three states together accounted for 81 per cent of the 4,594 Sharmik Special trains that have been operated so far since May 1.

In an online briefing on Friday, Railway Board Chairperson VK Yadav said the migrant workers who are returning to the cities are doing so in the regular trains that are being run by the Railways since June 1.

The railways is running 100 pairs of mail/express trains from June 1 and 15 pairs of air-conditioned trains on the Rajdhani routes.

"It is very encouraging to note that some of the trains which are moving in the reverse direction -- trains from UP to Mumbai, Bihar to Mumbai or UP to Gujarat or West Bengal to Gujarat showing the increase in occupancy day by day. This is an indicator that the economic situation is picking up. We are talking to state governments and in the coming week we will announce new special trains based on occupancy," said Yadav.

Most trains originating in Bihar and going towards Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad have high occupancy, according to data provided by railways.

Among the trains from Bihar, the Muzaffarpur-Bandra terminal special has an occupancy of 115 per cent in the next four days, the Danapur-Secunderabad special has an occupancy of 121 per cent and the Muzzafarpur-Ahmedabad special train of 127 per cent.

Bihar was the destination state for 37 per cent of the total Shramik Special trains run so far, second only to UP which accounted for 38 per cent of these trains.

Similarly, Uttar Pradesh which has received 1,723 Shramik Special trains so far is also seeing migrant workers returning to their workplaces.

Trains like the Kushinagar Express from Gorakhpur to Mumbai has an occupancy rate of more than 100 per cent till June 30, the Avadh special train from Gorakhpur to Bandra terminal has an occupancy of 121 per cent and the Gorakhpur-Ahmedabad special has an occupancy of 121 per cent, again indicating that migration back to workplaces is underway.

West Bengal, another state with a high number of migrant workers, which has so far received 6 per cent or just 282 Shramik special trains so far, is also seeing people moving back to the workplace in other states.

Trains from Howrah to Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jodhpur, Secunderabad are all running on full occupancy, according to the data.

Lakhs of workers had left cities, many on foot, during the lockdown which was enforced from March 25 to fight the coronavirus crisis.

Many died on the way, and those who survived were left jobless and without any resources to return home.

It was on May 1 that the government allowed the Railways to run the Shramik Special trains which are still in service.

So far, the Railways has ferried more than 62 lakh migrant workers home.

As of June 26, Yadav said out of the 230 special trains in service 43 trains had 75-100 per cent occupancy, 27 trains had 50-75 per cent occupancy and 78 trains had occupancy of 100 per cent of more.

Most special trains from migrant rich states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal towards cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Bangalore are scheduled to run on 100 per cent occupancy over the next four days, the Railways said Friday, adding that it was a sign of economic revival.

Most special trains from migrant rich states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal towards cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Bangalore are scheduled to run on 100 per cent occupancy over the next four days, the Railways said Friday, adding that it was a sign of economic revival. These three states together accounted for 81 per cent of the 4,594 Sharmik Special trains that have been operated so far since May 1. In an online briefing on Friday, Railway Board Chairperson VK Yadav said the migrant workers who are returning to the cities are doing so in the regular trains that are being run by the Railways since June 1. The railways is running 100 pairs of mail/express trains from June 1 and 15 pairs of air-conditioned trains on the Rajdhani routes. "It is very encouraging to note that some of the trains which are moving in the reverse direction -- trains from UP to Mumbai, Bihar to Mumbai or UP to Gujarat or West Bengal to Gujarat showing the increase in occupancy day by day. This is an indicator that the economic situation is picking up. We are talking to state governments and in the coming week we will announce new special trains based on occupancy," said Yadav. Most trains originating in Bihar and going towards Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad have high occupancy, according to data provided by railways. Among the trains from Bihar, the Muzaffarpur-Bandra terminal special has an occupancy of 115 per cent in the next four days, the Danapur-Secunderabad special has an occupancy of 121 per cent and the Muzzafarpur-Ahmedabad special train of 127 per cent. Bihar was the destination state for 37 per cent of the total Shramik Special trains run so far, second only to UP which accounted for 38 per cent of these trains. Similarly, Uttar Pradesh which has received 1,723 Shramik Special trains so far is also seeing migrant workers returning to their workplaces. Trains like the Kushinagar Express from Gorakhpur to Mumbai has an occupancy rate of more than 100 per cent till June 30, the Avadh special train from Gorakhpur to Bandra terminal has an occupancy of 121 per cent and the Gorakhpur-Ahmedabad special has an occupancy of 121 per cent, again indicating that migration back to workplaces is underway. West Bengal, another state with a high number of migrant workers, which has so far received 6 per cent or just 282 Shramik special trains so far, is also seeing people moving back to the workplace in other states. Trains from Howrah to Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jodhpur, Secunderabad are all running on full occupancy, according to the data. Lakhs of workers had left cities, many on foot, during the lockdown which was enforced from March 25 to fight the coronavirus crisis. Many died on the way, and those who survived were left jobless and without any resources to return home. It was on May 1 that the government allowed the Railways to run the Shramik Special trains which are still in service. So far, the Railways has ferried more than 62 lakh migrant workers home. As of June 26, Yadav said out of the 230 special trains in service 43 trains had 75-100 per cent occupancy, 27 trains had 50-75 per cent occupancy and 78 trains had occupancy of 100 per cent of more.

Occupancy in trains from migrant heavy states to cities 100 per cent; signs of recovery: Railways

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday said that schools in Delhi will continue to remain closed till July 31 in view of the COVID-19 situation.

"Reopening schools is not merely a technical work, rather, it is a creative work that would give schools a new and bigger role. Schools will continue to be closed in Delhi till July 31," Sisodia said.

Sisodia, who is also the Education Minister, made the announcement after a meeting with education department officials on how to reopen schools and discuss the future course of action.

Meanwhile, India recorded the highest daily spike of 17,926 new coronavirus cases and 407 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Coronavirus cases in India stand at 4, 90,401 including 1, 89,463 active cases, 2, 85,637 cured/discharged/migrated and 15,301 deaths, as reported by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The national capital Delhi is being compared to New York now as the state has crossed the 70,000 mark with 3,390 new positive cases, 64 deaths and 3,328 recoveries reported in Delhi in the last 24 hrs. The total number of positive cases in Delhi stands at 73,780, including 44,765 recovered/discharged cases and 2,429 deaths.

Mumbai, which is one of the worst affected cities in the country, reported 1,365 fresh cases and 58 deaths today, taking the total number of cases to 70,990 and death toll to 4,060, as reported by the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation.

(With inputs from agencies)

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday said that schools in Delhi will continue to remain closed till July 31 in view of the COVID-19 situation. "Reopening schools is not merely a technical work, rather, it is a creative work that would give schools a new and bigger role.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday said that schools in Delhi will continue to remain closed till July 31 in view of the COVID-19 situation. "Reopening schools is not merely a technical work, rather, it is a creative work that would give schools a new and bigger role. Schools will continue to be closed in Delhi till July 31," Sisodia said. Sisodia, who is also the Education Minister, made the announcement after a meeting with education department officials on how to reopen schools and discuss the future course of action. Meanwhile, India recorded the highest daily spike of 17,926 new coronavirus cases and 407 deaths in the last 24 hours. Coronavirus cases in India stand at 4, 90,401 including 1, 89,463 active cases, 2, 85,637 cured/discharged/migrated and 15,301 deaths, as reported by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The national capital Delhi is being compared to New York now as the state has crossed the 70,000 mark with 3,390 new positive cases, 64 deaths and 3,328 recoveries reported in Delhi in the last 24 hrs. The total number of positive cases in Delhi stands at 73,780, including 44,765 recovered/discharged cases and 2,429 deaths. Mumbai, which is one of the worst affected cities in the country, reported 1,365 fresh cases and 58 deaths today, taking the total number of cases to 70,990 and death toll to 4,060, as reported by the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation. (With inputs from agencies)

Coronavirus: Delhi schools to remain closed till July 31, says Sisodia

On Thursday, the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu had surpassed the 1million (10 lakh) mark in RT-PCR tests conducted thus far, for Covid-19. This is being viewed as a commendable feat, given that Tamil Nadu is the first state in India to have done so. The development comes at a time when the cumulative total of samples tested in India are about 2 lakh short of the 8 million mark.&nbsp;

For perspective, Tamil Nadu had barely performed a total of 3000 tests as on April 1st. However, in the following months testing was immensely ramped up, thus enabling the state to reach the 1 million mark. In terms of Covid-19 testing facilities, from merely 17 labs at the start of April, there has been a five-fold increase and currently, 89 labs are functional. As per the data from the State health bulletins, 47 of these testing labs are state government facilities while 42 of them are private ones.&nbsp;

Dr Radhakrishnan, IAS, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary said that though the testing was slow at the start, the state eventually scaled up rapidly. “Initially it took a little time to get ICMR approvals for new labs, but we were keen on increasing both government and private labs. It was basically a focused strategy to have a testing centre every 30kms in bigger areas. Based on what our Chief Minister had discussed with the health experts, we have been strictly going with RT-PCR (most-reliable) tests only and ramping up the numbers, he told WION.

In terms of the Tests per million too, Tamil Nadu ranks far above the national average. As per state government figures that were released earlier this month, Tamil Nadu had tested 8666 samples per million, whereas the national average stood at 4657. Experts working in the field owe it to the dedication of the staff in testing labs. Microbiologists and lab technicians are said to be the unseen heroes of this battle, as their tedious work requires a lot of precision, involves high risk.&nbsp;

“All our testing labs are dependent on RT-PCR machines and most of these machines need to be imported, there are also delays in supply due to the logistical challenges. But in Tamil Nadu, we decided to set-up more labs using the RT-PCR machines that were already available in the educational, research institutions. Our government labs test about 80% of the total samples by working 24 hours a day, all through the week” Dr S.Raju, Deputy Director, State Public Health Laboratory, told WION.

In recent weeks, Tamil Nadu has been consistently testing above 20,000 samples on a daily basis. On certain days there were over 33,000 samples tested. Officials say that nearly 80% of the 1 million tests were done in Government labs, with the remaining being done in Private facilities.&nbsp;

“Such scaling up is possible because we have been getting sufficient testing kits from the US, South Korea and some even from India. In parallel, we are also placing orders for more RT-PCR machines, but we are meeting urgent requirements by getting the machines with the support of various departments and their research institutions. Some of them are Higher education department, animal husbandry, fisheries etc.” Dr Raja added.&nbsp;

While the rapid ramp-up of test capability has been widely appreciated, experts also suggest few other additional measures that Tamil Nadu could follow in the coming times.&nbsp;

“It is commendable that we have surpassed one million tests in a state that has an 8 crore population, but in specific districts, testing needs to be increased. Chennai (within Civic body limits) has a population of around 1crore, but we have only around 10,000 tests per day. The testing in Chennai and its three adjoining districts of Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpattu, which have a combined population of over 2 crores must be scaled up even more” Healthcare Consultant Dr Sumanth C Raman told WION.&nbsp;

Besides the scaling up of testing numbers, experts also point out towards broader testing among different groups of people.&nbsp;

“States are testing people based on latest ICMR guidelines, but they could also go a step ahead and test the aged population, cancer patients, vulnerable groups, pregnant women etc. Such testing can be done across social strata and at random. For example, a pregnant lady or a cancer patient must not have much exposure to infection while at home. But if they test positive, it means that there are many cases in their locality. Random testing for such groups and it would reveal more cases. Covid-19 testing before admitting all senior citizens (for other ailments) and pregnant women in hospitals is also a good strategy” Dr K Kolandaiswamy, who retired recently as Tamil Nadu's Director of Public Health and Preventive medicine told WION.&nbsp;

“From a few hundred daily tests in March and April, it is a tremendous growth that Tamil Nadu has shown in testing capability. But henceforth, the public must pay sincere attention to hand-washing(using soap) and mask-wearing, as that’s what reduces the spread and controls this pandemic” he added.&nbsp;

On Friday, Tamil Nadu recorded its highest-ever day increase of 3645 cases, thus taking the total case count to 74622. There are currently 32305 active cases in the state and 957 people have so far succumbed to the deadly pandemic. Capital city Chennai has a bulk of the state’s cases and accounts for 49,690 cases, of which 20,136 are active.

On Thursday, the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu had surpassed the 1million (10 lakh) mark in RT-PCR tests conducted thus far, for Covid-19. This is being viewed as a commendable feat, given that Tamil Nadu is the first state in India to have done so.

On Thursday, the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu had surpassed the 1million (10 lakh) mark in RT-PCR tests conducted thus far, for Covid-19. This is being viewed as a commendable feat, given that Tamil Nadu is the first state in India to have done so. The development comes at a time when the cumulative total of samples tested in India are about 2 lakh short of the 8 million mark. For perspective, Tamil Nadu had barely performed a total of 3000 tests as on April 1st. However, in the following months testing was immensely ramped up, thus enabling the state to reach the 1 million mark. In terms of Covid-19 testing facilities, from merely 17 labs at the start of April, there has been a five-fold increase and currently, 89 labs are functional. As per the data from the State health bulletins, 47 of these testing labs are state government facilities while 42 of them are private ones. Dr Radhakrishnan, IAS, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary said that though the testing was slow at the start, the state eventually scaled up rapidly. “Initially it took a little time to get ICMR approvals for new labs, but we were keen on increasing both government and private labs. It was basically a focused strategy to have a testing centre every 30kms in bigger areas. Based on what our Chief Minister had discussed with the health experts, we have been strictly going with RT-PCR (most-reliable) tests only and ramping up the numbers, he told WION. In terms of the Tests per million too, Tamil Nadu ranks far above the national average. As per state government figures that were released earlier this month, Tamil Nadu had tested 8666 samples per million, whereas the national average stood at 4657. Experts working in the field owe it to the dedication of the staff in testing labs. Microbiologists and lab technicians are said to be the unseen heroes of this battle, as their tedious work requires a lot of precision, involves high risk. “All our testing labs are dependent on RT-PCR machines and most of these machines need to be imported, there are also delays in supply due to the logistical challenges. But in Tamil Nadu, we decided to set-up more labs using the RT-PCR machines that were already available in the educational, research institutions. Our government labs test about 80% of the total samples by working 24 hours a day, all through the week” Dr S.Raju, Deputy Director, State Public Health Laboratory, told WION. In recent weeks, Tamil Nadu has been consistently testing above 20,000 samples on a daily basis. On certain days there were over 33,000 samples tested. Officials say that nearly 80% of the 1 million tests were done in Government labs, with the remaining being done in Private facilities. “Such scaling up is possible because we have been getting sufficient testing kits from the US, South Korea and some even from India. In parallel, we are also placing orders for more RT-PCR machines, but we are meeting urgent requirements by getting the machines with the support of various departments and their research institutions. Some of them are Higher education department, animal husbandry, fisheries etc.” Dr Raja added. While the rapid ramp-up of test capability has been widely appreciated, experts also suggest few other additional measures that Tamil Nadu could follow in the coming times. “It is commendable that we have surpassed one million tests in a state that has an 8 crore population, but in specific districts, testing needs to be increased. Chennai (within Civic body limits) has a population of around 1crore, but we have only around 10,000 tests per day. The testing in Chennai and its three adjoining districts of Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpattu, which have a combined population of over 2 crores must be scaled up even more” Healthcare Consultant Dr Sumanth C Raman told WION. Besides the scaling up of testing numbers, experts also point out towards broader testing among different groups of people. “States are testing people based on latest ICMR guidelines, but they could also go a step ahead and test the aged population, cancer patients, vulnerable groups, pregnant women etc. Such testing can be done across social strata and at random. For example, a pregnant lady or a cancer patient must not have much exposure to infection while at home. But if they test positive, it means that there are many cases in their locality. Random testing for such groups and it would reveal more cases. Covid-19 testing before admitting all senior citizens (for other ailments) and pregnant women in hospitals is also a good strategy” Dr K Kolandaiswamy, who retired recently as Tamil Nadu's Director of Public Health and Preventive medicine told WION. “From a few hundred daily tests in March and April, it is a tremendous growth that Tamil Nadu has shown in testing capability. But henceforth, the public must pay sincere attention to hand-washing(using soap) and mask-wearing, as that’s what reduces the spread and controls this pandemic” he added. On Friday, Tamil Nadu recorded its highest-ever day increase of 3645 cases, thus taking the total case count to 74622. There are currently 32305 active cases in the state and 957 people have so far succumbed to the deadly pandemic. Capital city Chennai has a bulk of the state’s cases and accounts for 49,690 cases, of which 20,136 are active.

How Tamil Nadu became the first state in India to test over 1 million Covid-19 samples

Showering praise on Yogi Adityanath for his handling of COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the vast preparations made by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister saved at least 85,000 lives, something that was unthinkable before 2017.

Modi, who launched the "Atma nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rozgar Abhiyan" seeking to promote local entrepreneurship with industrial associations to provide employment, said Adityanath managed to turn the epidemic into an opportunity which the governments prior to 2017 would have avoided.

The prime minister referred to the pre-2017 period when the state was mostly ruled by non-BJP governments, saying, "Whichever government or system was in place, the circumstances were such that they would have avoided the challenge but the Adityanath government took it seriously and worked on a war footing."

He referred to a stampede in Allahabad during the Kumbh Mela, when a former prime minister was in power who was also an MP from the city, saying the PM made all efforts to brush the "deaths of hundreds of thousands" pilgrims under the carpet.

Modi said UP's population of 24 crore is same as that of four European countries put together but, in UP the death toll is 600 due to coronavirus and lauded the efforts of Adityanath in tackling the pandemic.

"UP's achievement is massive. The population of 24 crore is bigger than that of many countries. The population of England, France, Italy and Spain put together comes to 24 crore but they saw 1.30 lakh deaths due to coronavirus," he said, adding that these four countries lost more lives than UP even though they are developed nations and have no dearth of facilities.

Referring to the scenario in United States, he said, "You must have seen reports of America. They have everything but even then 1.25 lakh lives have been lost till now."

"If Yogiji and his team had not made proper preparations, today 85,000 people would have lost their lives if we compare with other countries. We can say that the hard work done by the UP government saved so many lives," he said.

Modi, who interacted with villagers of six districts through common services centres and krishi vigyan kendras , said this achievement has been managed when 30 to 35 lakh labourers have returned to the state by hundreds of shramik trains.

Speaking about the works done by the Adityanath government, he said the chief minister's dedication was evident in the fact that he opted to miss his father's last rites.

Modi said that he always talked about the double engine for development which was working for Uttar Pradesh and hoped that other states would also bring in schemes like UP.

He stressed that he is concerned about the state as a citizen and also because he is an MP from here.

"Whoever shows courage in crisis gets success.

What you have done is an example for the world," he said, adding that Uttar Pradesh has a great role in making the country self-reliant.

He also hailed the work done by the UP government in the past three years and reminded that the fight against coronavirus was on and cited three steps of social distancing, covering face with a mask and sanitation.

The "Atma nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rozgar Abhiyan" scheme aims to generate 1.

25 crore jobs in 31 districts.

Exuding confidence of providing jobs to all migrant workers of Uttar Pradesh, Adityanath said the state has enough potential to create employment opportunities for all of them.

"Uttar Pradesh has enough possibilities for creating employment for migrant workers who have returned to the state.

I can assure that we will succeed in employing all of them," said Adityanath while launching the scheme through video conference. 
&nbsp;

Showering praise on Yogi Adityanath for his handling of COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the vast preparations made by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister saved at least 85,000 lives, something that was unthinkable before 2017.

Showering praise on Yogi Adityanath for his handling of COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the vast preparations made by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister saved at least 85,000 lives, something that was unthinkable before 2017. Modi, who launched the "Atma nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rozgar Abhiyan" seeking to promote local entrepreneurship with industrial associations to provide employment, said Adityanath managed to turn the epidemic into an opportunity which the governments prior to 2017 would have avoided. The prime minister referred to the pre-2017 period when the state was mostly ruled by non-BJP governments, saying, "Whichever government or system was in place, the circumstances were such that they would have avoided the challenge but the Adityanath government took it seriously and worked on a war footing." He referred to a stampede in Allahabad during the Kumbh Mela, when a former prime minister was in power who was also an MP from the city, saying the PM made all efforts to brush the "deaths of hundreds of thousands" pilgrims under the carpet. Modi said UP's population of 24 crore is same as that of four European countries put together but, in UP the death toll is 600 due to coronavirus and lauded the efforts of Adityanath in tackling the pandemic. "UP's achievement is massive. The population of 24 crore is bigger than that of many countries. The population of England, France, Italy and Spain put together comes to 24 crore but they saw 1.30 lakh deaths due to coronavirus," he said, adding that these four countries lost more lives than UP even though they are developed nations and have no dearth of facilities. Referring to the scenario in United States, he said, "You must have seen reports of America. They have everything but even then 1.25 lakh lives have been lost till now." "If Yogiji and his team had not made proper preparations, today 85,000 people would have lost their lives if we compare with other countries. We can say that the hard work done by the UP government saved so many lives," he said. Modi, who interacted with villagers of six districts through common services centres and krishi vigyan kendras , said this achievement has been managed when 30 to 35 lakh labourers have returned to the state by hundreds of shramik trains. Speaking about the works done by the Adityanath government, he said the chief minister's dedication was evident in the fact that he opted to miss his father's last rites. Modi said that he always talked about the double engine for development which was working for Uttar Pradesh and hoped that other states would also bring in schemes like UP. He stressed that he is concerned about the state as a citizen and also because he is an MP from here. "Whoever shows courage in crisis gets success. What you have done is an example for the world," he said, adding that Uttar Pradesh has a great role in making the country self-reliant. He also hailed the work done by the UP government in the past three years and reminded that the fight against coronavirus was on and cited three steps of social distancing, covering face with a mask and sanitation. The "Atma nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rozgar Abhiyan" scheme aims to generate 1. 25 crore jobs in 31 districts. Exuding confidence of providing jobs to all migrant workers of Uttar Pradesh, Adityanath said the state has enough potential to create employment opportunities for all of them. "Uttar Pradesh has enough possibilities for creating employment for migrant workers who have returned to the state. I can assure that we will succeed in employing all of them," said Adityanath while launching the scheme through video conference.

Yogi Adityanath government saved 85,000 lives, says PM Modi praising UP's handling of COVID-19

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Friday announced to suspend all scheduled International commercial passenger flights to and from India till July 15 due to coronavirus pandemic.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covid-19-india-records-highest-daily-spike-of-17926-cases-death-toll-crosses-15000-308689">Also read: India records highest daily spike of 17,926 cases; death toll crosses 15,000</a> 
 
"In continuation of the circular dated 30.05.2020 on the subject cited above (Travel and Visa related to COVID-19), the competent authority has decided that Scheduled International commercial passenger services to/from India shall remain suspended till 2359 hours IST of 15th July 2020," DGCA said in the statement.

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But according to the statement, this restriction will not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights.

Meanwhile, India recorded the highest daily spike of 17,926 new coronavirus cases and 407 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Coronavirus cases in India stand at 4, 90,401 including 1, 89,463 active cases, 2, 85,637 cured/discharged/migrated and 15,301 deaths, as reported by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The national capital Delhi is being compared to New York now as the state has crossed the 70,000 mark with 3,390 new positive cases, 64 deaths and 3,328 recoveries reported in Delhi in the last 24 hrs. The total number of positive cases in Delhi stands at 73,780, including 44,765 recovered/discharged cases and 2,429 deaths.

Mumbai, which is one of the worst affected cities in the country, reported 1,365 fresh cases and 58 deaths today, taking the total number of cases to 70,990 and death toll to 4,060, as reported by the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Friday announced to suspend all scheduled International commercial passenger flights to and from India till July 15 due to coronavirus pandemic.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Friday announced to suspend all scheduled International commercial passenger flights to and from India till July 15 due to coronavirus pandemic. Also read: India records highest daily spike of 17,926 cases; death toll crosses 15,000 "In continuation of the circular dated 30.05.2020 on the subject cited above (Travel and Visa related to COVID-19), the competent authority has decided that Scheduled International commercial passenger services to/from India shall remain suspended till 2359 hours IST of 15th July 2020," DGCA said in the statement. pic.twitter.com/qDqtyit14Q — DGCA (@DGCAIndia) June 26, 2020 × But according to the statement, this restriction will not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights. Meanwhile, India recorded the highest daily spike of 17,926 new coronavirus cases and 407 deaths in the last 24 hours. Coronavirus cases in India stand at 4, 90,401 including 1, 89,463 active cases, 2, 85,637 cured/discharged/migrated and 15,301 deaths, as reported by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The national capital Delhi is being compared to New York now as the state has crossed the 70,000 mark with 3,390 new positive cases, 64 deaths and 3,328 recoveries reported in Delhi in the last 24 hrs. The total number of positive cases in Delhi stands at 73,780, including 44,765 recovered/discharged cases and 2,429 deaths. Mumbai, which is one of the worst affected cities in the country, reported 1,365 fresh cases and 58 deaths today, taking the total number of cases to 70,990 and death toll to 4,060, as reported by the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation. (With inputs from agencies)

India suspends all international commercial flight operations till July 15

Japan’s COVID-19 contact-tracing app has been downloaded more than 4 million times since its launch a week ago as the government seeks to head off a second wave of infections now that businesses and schools have reopened.

Health ministry official Yasuyuki Sahara said while there was no target number for downloads, “we want to make as many people as possible to use this app”.

Apps such as this may be able to halt an epidemic if usage reaches 60 per cent&nbsp;of the population, according to an Oxford University study.

Yuki Furuse, a professor at Kyoto University, said there’s debate about whether usage has to be that high to be effective, but “the more people use the app, the more it would be effective for the outbreak response.”

Japan lifted a state of emergency in late May. It has weathered the epidemic better than most developed countries, with almost 18,000 infections and 969 deaths.

The app, named COCOA for Contact-Confirming Application, was designed by Microsoft Corp and is available for Apple Inc’s iPhone and devices using Google’s Android software.

It uses Bluetooth signals to detect contact with nearby users lasting 15 minutes or more. If a user later tests positive for the virus, their contacts can be traced and notified through the programme.

Numerous countries have rolled out contact-tracing apps, including Australia, Malaysia, Britain, India, Germany and Italy.

Singapore was among the first with its TraceTogether app launched in March, but privacy concerns hampered its uptake, prompting a switch to wearable devices.

The new coronavirus, which was first detected in China in late 2019, has infected more than 9.62 million people globally and 488,467​ have died, according to a Reuters tally.

Japan’s COVID-19 contact-tracing app has been downloaded more than 4 million times since its launch a week ago as the government seeks to head off a second wave of infections now that businesses and schools have reopened.

Japan’s COVID-19 contact-tracing app has been downloaded more than 4 million times since its launch a week ago as the government seeks to head off a second wave of infections now that businesses and schools have reopened. Health ministry official Yasuyuki Sahara said while there was no target number for downloads, “we want to make as many people as possible to use this app”. Apps such as this may be able to halt an epidemic if usage reaches 60 per cent of the population, according to an Oxford University study. Yuki Furuse, a professor at Kyoto University, said there’s debate about whether usage has to be that high to be effective, but “the more people use the app, the more it would be effective for the outbreak response.” Japan lifted a state of emergency in late May. It has weathered the epidemic better than most developed countries, with almost 18,000 infections and 969 deaths. The app, named COCOA for Contact-Confirming Application, was designed by Microsoft Corp and is available for Apple Inc’s iPhone and devices using Google’s Android software. It uses Bluetooth signals to detect contact with nearby users lasting 15 minutes or more. If a user later tests positive for the virus, their contacts can be traced and notified through the programme. Numerous countries have rolled out contact-tracing apps, including Australia, Malaysia, Britain, India, Germany and Italy. Singapore was among the first with its TraceTogether app launched in March, but privacy concerns hampered its uptake, prompting a switch to wearable devices. The new coronavirus, which was first detected in China in late 2019, has infected more than 9.62 million people globally and 488,467 have died, according to a Reuters tally.

Japan's COVID-19 app reaches 4 million downloads in the first week

Maharashtra on Thursday reported the highest single-day spike of coronavirus cases after 4,841 more people tested positive for the deadly virus.

Till now, 1, 47,741 people have contracted COVID-19 in the state. Currently, there are 63,342 active cases in Maharashtra. On June 25, 3,661 patients recovered from the disease, taking the number of cured patients to 77453.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that the Indian economy faces an even deeper downturn than projected in April as the country grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic. It has projected a sharp contraction of 4.5 per cent in FY21, a steep drop from its April forecast of a 1.9 per cent expansion. The international body has called this a "historic low" for India.

The deadly coronavirus has now infected more than 9,551,987 people worldwide and killed more than 485,433. IMF said it expected the global economy to take a $12-trillion hit from the pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies)

Maharashtra on Thursday reported the highest single-day spike of coronavirus cases after 4,841 more people tested positive for the deadly virus. Till now, 1, 47,741 people have contracted COVID-19 in the state.

Maharashtra on Thursday reported the highest single-day spike of coronavirus cases after 4,841 more people tested positive for the deadly virus. Till now, 1, 47,741 people have contracted COVID-19 in the state. Currently, there are 63,342 active cases in Maharashtra. On June 25, 3,661 patients recovered from the disease, taking the number of cured patients to 77453. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that the Indian economy faces an even deeper downturn than projected in April as the country grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic. It has projected a sharp contraction of 4.5 per cent in FY21, a steep drop from its April forecast of a 1.9 per cent expansion. The international body has called this a "historic low" for India. The deadly coronavirus has now infected more than 9,551,987 people worldwide and killed more than 485,433. IMF said it expected the global economy to take a $12-trillion hit from the pandemic. (With inputs from agencies)

Maharashtra sees nearly 5,000 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours, biggest spike so far

In the wake of deadly coronavirus pandemic, Railways on Thursday, cancelled all regular trains till August 12, 2020, in a notification issued today.&nbsp;

All special Rajdhani, mail and express trains, however, will continue to operate. &nbsp;

"It has been decided that regular time-tabled passenger services including Mail and Express, passenger and suburban services stand cancelled up to 12.08.2020," the Railway Board said in the notification.

However, the special 230 trains will continue to function, said the national transporter.

Also, all the tickets booked for the regular time-tabled trains from 1 July-12 August stand cancelled and a full refund will be generated, said Railways.

All regular train services were cancelled since March 25 when the lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic began. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

In the wake of deadly coronavirus pandemic, Railways on Thursday, cancelled all regular trains till August 12, 2020, in a notification issued today. All special Rajdhani, mail and express trains, however, will continue to operate.

In the wake of deadly coronavirus pandemic, Railways on Thursday, cancelled all regular trains till August 12, 2020, in a notification issued today. All special Rajdhani, mail and express trains, however, will continue to operate. "It has been decided that regular time-tabled passenger services including Mail and Express, passenger and suburban services stand cancelled up to 12.08.2020," the Railway Board said in the notification. However, the special 230 trains will continue to function, said the national transporter. Also, all the tickets booked for the regular time-tabled trains from 1 July-12 August stand cancelled and a full refund will be generated, said Railways. All regular train services were cancelled since March 25 when the lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic began. (With inputs from agencies)

Railways cancels regular passenger trains till this date; special trains to run

India and China have begun disengagement at the three flashpoints along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).&nbsp;

Chinese and Indian military commanders arrived at a consensus on the “outstanding issues” and agreed to take necessary measures to “cool down” the situation at their borders after 11 hours of marathon talks&nbsp;

However, Reuters has published satellite images which claim that China has built new and extensive structures near the site where the forces on both sides clashed.

China's military aggression is alarming and world leaders have expressed concern about it.&nbsp;

British prime minister Boris Johnson has called on India and China to engage in dialogue to sort out their border issues as he described the escalation in eastern Ladakh as “a very serious and worrying situation” which the UK is closely monitoring. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/where-does-china-stand-on-the-world-stage-308612">Also Read: Where does China stand on the world stage?</a>

Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticised the Chinese Army for "escalating" the border tension with India.&nbsp;

China's expansionism is a matter of global concern, the Japanese defence minister Taro Kono raised concern about China''s increasingly assertive activity in regional seas and skies.

“China is trying to change the status quo unilaterally in East China Sea, South China Sea and with Indian border and Hong Kong as well,” Kono said.&nbsp;

The Indian and Chinese armies are engaged in the standoff in Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie in eastern Ladakh.&nbsp;

20 Indian Army personnel died in action during a violent face-off between the troops of both the countries in Galwan Valley on June 15.&nbsp;

India and China have begun disengagement at the three flashpoints along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Chinese and Indian military commanders arrived at a consensus on the “outstanding issues” and agreed to take necessary measures to “cool down” the situation at their borders after 11 hours of marathon talks However, Reuters has published satellite images which claim that China has built new and extensive structures near the site where the forces on both sides clashed.

India and China have begun disengagement at the three flashpoints along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Chinese and Indian military commanders arrived at a consensus on the “outstanding issues” and agreed to take necessary measures to “cool down” the situation at their borders after 11 hours of marathon talks However, Reuters has published satellite images which claim that China has built new and extensive structures near the site where the forces on both sides clashed. China's military aggression is alarming and world leaders have expressed concern about it. British prime minister Boris Johnson has called on India and China to engage in dialogue to sort out their border issues as he described the escalation in eastern Ladakh as “a very serious and worrying situation” which the UK is closely monitoring. Also Read: Where does China stand on the world stage? Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticised the Chinese Army for "escalating" the border tension with India. China's expansionism is a matter of global concern, the Japanese defence minister Taro Kono raised concern about China''s increasingly assertive activity in regional seas and skies. “China is trying to change the status quo unilaterally in East China Sea, South China Sea and with Indian border and Hong Kong as well,” Kono said. The Indian and Chinese armies are engaged in the standoff in Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie in eastern Ladakh. 20 Indian Army personnel died in action during a violent face-off between the troops of both the countries in Galwan Valley on June 15.

India-China standoff: Beijing's expansionism a matter of global concern

By Brian Glyn Williams 
 
An Islamic State follower posted the hashtag “#AmericaBurning” in a discussion on the Telegram chat system in early June, and another posted a message that read “You are waking up this morning to news of the destruction of America, the dismantling of its States, and civil war.”

Another Islamic State website proclaimed “Destruction, fragmentation. America is burning,” while an Islamic State supporter posted photos in the same Telegram forum of the riots, writing “O Allah, burn them like they burned the lands of the Muslims.”

IS supporters are rejoicing at tensions from both peaceful protests and occasional violence in US&nbsp;streets in the wake of George Floyd’s May 25 death. As a scholar who tracks the Islamic State group and its affiliates, I have followed how the Islamic State has been exploiting the effects of the coronavirus on its enemies and celebrating the effects of racial tensions and the pandemic in America.

An opportunity in the pandemic

Islamic State followers are excited at the prospect of a massive Western death toll from the coronavirus, which they defined as “God’s smallest soldier.”

They also see the virus at work in US&nbsp;military pullbacks related to the coronavirus – such as the March announcement from the Pentagon that it would stop sending troops to Iraq for at least two months.

In addition, the US&nbsp;pulled some troops out of Iraq, withdrew many more from six frontline operating bases and ordered the troops remaining in the country to stay on their bases – moves that ended most joint missions with local Iraqi and Kurdish troops.

In Iraq, the Islamic State has reacted by stepping up attacks. They have targeted pro-government Shiite militia members and Iraqi and Kurdish troops, who now have less U.S. support to help defend them.

British and US airstrikes are, however, still targeting the group’s fortified cave hideouts in northern Iraq, which Iraqi ground troops are also continuing to attack, albeit with fewer troops due to coronavirus base lockdowns.

In Syria, emboldened Islamic State forces have recently attacked government troops with land mines, heavy weapons and car bombings killing hundreds.

IS also fears the virus 
 
For all the opportunities the pandemic seemingly offers the Islamic State, the group is also worried about how the virus affects them. In Syria, Kurdish forces are holding captive as many as 12,000 Islamic State fighters and 70,000 of their family members, mostly women and children, in vast, cramped, unhygienic internment camps. There is no possibility of social distancing.

The prisoners live in terror of the pandemic breaking out among them and have been rioting in efforts to escape the camps. In May, Islamic State prisoners briefly rose up and took control of a prison holding as many as 5,000 captives before they were suppressed.

Islamic State leaders have not only called for their fighters to attack the lightly guarded camps to free the prisoners, but also expressed concern about the disease spreading among their own forces.

Calls for jihad in the West 
 
A US&nbsp;Department of Homeland Security bulletin in late March warned that the Islamic State’s newsletter had called for attacks on US&nbsp;and European health care targets that are strained by the pandemic. The Islamic State has ordered its followers not to travel to Europe, where the virus outbreak is far worse than in the Middle East. But the group has suggested that its followers who are already in Europe exploit the chaos, calling for “new strikes … similar to the strikes of Paris, London, Brussels and other places” where followers have used bombs and firearms to kill dozens of people in recent years.

The Islamic State is even suggesting that killing “infidels” could be a way for followers to protect themselves from the virus, stating, “They should also remember that obedience to God – the most beloved form of which is jihad – turns away the torment and wrath of God.”

Limited activity in Europe 
 
Those calls may have had some response.

On March 11, German authorities arrested four suspected members of an Islamic State cell who were allegedly planning an attack on American military facilities with explosives. In April, a Sudanese man stabbed seven people, killing two, in southeastern France. Most recently, on June 20, a Libyan man stabbed six people in a park in Reading, England, killing three.

I do not believe these attacks in France and Britain or the disrupted plot in Germany signal a resurgence in Islamic State activity in the West. IS’s messaging has lost much of its galvanizing appeal since the group lost its transnational state, which had inspired many followers, in a five-year war in Syria and Iraq.

My research shows that calls for attacks on the FIFA World Cup soccer finals in Russia in 2018 and against Fourth of July festivities in the US&nbsp;in 2019 were never acted on. While the Islamic State group can still carry out attacks in the Middle East and through its affiliates around the world, their gloating at American coronavirus deaths and racial tensions does not necessarily translate to a real threat to the US.

(Brian Glyn Williams is Professor of Islamic History, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth) 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) &nbsp;

By Brian Glyn Williams An Islamic State follower posted the hashtag “#AmericaBurning” in a discussion on the Telegram chat system in early June, and another posted a message that read “You are waking up this morning to news of the destruction of America, the dismantling of its States, and civil war.

By Brian Glyn Williams An Islamic State follower posted the hashtag “#AmericaBurning” in a discussion on the Telegram chat system in early June, and another posted a message that read “You are waking up this morning to news of the destruction of America, the dismantling of its States, and civil war.” Another Islamic State website proclaimed “Destruction, fragmentation. America is burning,” while an Islamic State supporter posted photos in the same Telegram forum of the riots, writing “O Allah, burn them like they burned the lands of the Muslims.” IS supporters are rejoicing at tensions from both peaceful protests and occasional violence in US streets in the wake of George Floyd’s May 25 death. As a scholar who tracks the Islamic State group and its affiliates, I have followed how the Islamic State has been exploiting the effects of the coronavirus on its enemies and celebrating the effects of racial tensions and the pandemic in America. An opportunity in the pandemic Islamic State followers are excited at the prospect of a massive Western death toll from the coronavirus, which they defined as “God’s smallest soldier.” They also see the virus at work in US military pullbacks related to the coronavirus – such as the March announcement from the Pentagon that it would stop sending troops to Iraq for at least two months. In addition, the US pulled some troops out of Iraq, withdrew many more from six frontline operating bases and ordered the troops remaining in the country to stay on their bases – moves that ended most joint missions with local Iraqi and Kurdish troops. In Iraq, the Islamic State has reacted by stepping up attacks. They have targeted pro-government Shiite militia members and Iraqi and Kurdish troops, who now have less U.S. support to help defend them. British and US airstrikes are, however, still targeting the group’s fortified cave hideouts in northern Iraq, which Iraqi ground troops are also continuing to attack, albeit with fewer troops due to coronavirus base lockdowns. In Syria, emboldened Islamic State forces have recently attacked government troops with land mines, heavy weapons and car bombings killing hundreds. IS also fears the virus For all the opportunities the pandemic seemingly offers the Islamic State, the group is also worried about how the virus affects them. In Syria, Kurdish forces are holding captive as many as 12,000 Islamic State fighters and 70,000 of their family members, mostly women and children, in vast, cramped, unhygienic internment camps. There is no possibility of social distancing. The prisoners live in terror of the pandemic breaking out among them and have been rioting in efforts to escape the camps. In May, Islamic State prisoners briefly rose up and took control of a prison holding as many as 5,000 captives before they were suppressed. Islamic State leaders have not only called for their fighters to attack the lightly guarded camps to free the prisoners, but also expressed concern about the disease spreading among their own forces. Calls for jihad in the West A US Department of Homeland Security bulletin in late March warned that the Islamic State’s newsletter had called for attacks on US and European health care targets that are strained by the pandemic. The Islamic State has ordered its followers not to travel to Europe, where the virus outbreak is far worse than in the Middle East. But the group has suggested that its followers who are already in Europe exploit the chaos, calling for “new strikes … similar to the strikes of Paris, London, Brussels and other places” where followers have used bombs and firearms to kill dozens of people in recent years. The Islamic State is even suggesting that killing “infidels” could be a way for followers to protect themselves from the virus, stating, “They should also remember that obedience to God – the most beloved form of which is jihad – turns away the torment and wrath of God.” Limited activity in Europe Those calls may have had some response. On March 11, German authorities arrested four suspected members of an Islamic State cell who were allegedly planning an attack on American military facilities with explosives. In April, a Sudanese man stabbed seven people, killing two, in southeastern France. Most recently, on June 20, a Libyan man stabbed six people in a park in Reading, England, killing three. I do not believe these attacks in France and Britain or the disrupted plot in Germany signal a resurgence in Islamic State activity in the West. IS’s messaging has lost much of its galvanizing appeal since the group lost its transnational state, which had inspired many followers, in a five-year war in Syria and Iraq. My research shows that calls for attacks on the FIFA World Cup soccer finals in Russia in 2018 and against Fourth of July festivities in the US in 2019 were never acted on. While the Islamic State group can still carry out attacks in the Middle East and through its affiliates around the world, their gloating at American coronavirus deaths and racial tensions does not necessarily translate to a real threat to the US. (Brian Glyn Williams is Professor of Islamic History, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article)

Islamic State militants incite attacks, gloat at US protests and pandemic deaths

New Delhi on Tuesday witnessed the highest single-day spike in novel coronavirus cases ever, taking the Covid-19 count in the national capital over 66,000.

A total of 3,947 fresh coronavirus cases reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of positive patients in the national capital surged to 66,602, according to concerned authorities.

India has again recorded nearly 15,000 cases of coronavirus in a day, taking its total to 441,948. The country's death toll has crossed the 14,000 mark.

As against the global average of 6.04, India has one Covid-19 death per 100,000 population which is one of the lowest in the world, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday.

Worldwide, at least 9,225,413 people have been confirmed to have the coronavirus infection, 4,970,253 have recovered, and 475,066 people have died.

Country-wise, the United States continues to be the worst-hit, with 2,388,153 cases and 122,610 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,111,348 cases, 50,659 deaths), Russia (592,280 cases, 8,206 deaths), and India (440,685 cases, 14,015 deaths).

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

New Delhi on Tuesday witnessed the highest single-day spike in novel coronavirus cases ever, taking the Covid-19 count in the national capital over 66,000. A total of 3,947 fresh coronavirus cases reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of positive patients in the national capital surged to 66,602, according to concerned authorities.

New Delhi on Tuesday witnessed the highest single-day spike in novel coronavirus cases ever, taking the Covid-19 count in the national capital over 66,000. A total of 3,947 fresh coronavirus cases reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of positive patients in the national capital surged to 66,602, according to concerned authorities. India has again recorded nearly 15,000 cases of coronavirus in a day, taking its total to 441,948. The country's death toll has crossed the 14,000 mark. As against the global average of 6.04, India has one Covid-19 death per 100,000 population which is one of the lowest in the world, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday. Worldwide, at least 9,225,413 people have been confirmed to have the coronavirus infection, 4,970,253 have recovered, and 475,066 people have died. Country-wise, the United States continues to be the worst-hit, with 2,388,153 cases and 122,610 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,111,348 cases, 50,659 deaths), Russia (592,280 cases, 8,206 deaths), and India (440,685 cases, 14,015 deaths). (With inputs from agencies)

3,947 new Covid-19 cases in Delhi; tally over 66,000

Confirmed COVID-19 cases have exceeded 9.2 million globally, with over 475,000 fatalities and more than 4.9 million recoveries, according to the latest tally.

Worldwide, at least 9,225,413 people have been confirmed to have the coronavirus infection, 4,970,253 have recovered, and 475,066 people have died, according to Worldometer data.

Country-wise, the United States continues to be the worst-hit, with 2,388,153 cases and 122,610 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,111,348 cases, 50,659 deaths), Russia (592,280 cases, 8,206 deaths), and India (440,685 cases, 14,015 deaths).

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in an online conference that the COVID-19 pandemic is still accelerating and it is more than a health crises. &nbsp;

"The pandemic is still accelerating...we know that the pandemic is much more than a health crisis, it's an economic crisis, a social crisis and in many countries a political crisis. Its effects will be felt for decades to come," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Confirmed COVID-19 cases have exceeded 9.2 million globally, with over 475,000 fatalities and more than 4.9 million recoveries, according to the latest tally. Worldwide, at least 9,225,413 people have been confirmed to have the coronavirus infection, 4,970,253 have recovered, and 475,066 people have died, according to Worldometer data.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases have exceeded 9.2 million globally, with over 475,000 fatalities and more than 4.9 million recoveries, according to the latest tally. Worldwide, at least 9,225,413 people have been confirmed to have the coronavirus infection, 4,970,253 have recovered, and 475,066 people have died, according to Worldometer data. Country-wise, the United States continues to be the worst-hit, with 2,388,153 cases and 122,610 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,111,348 cases, 50,659 deaths), Russia (592,280 cases, 8,206 deaths), and India (440,685 cases, 14,015 deaths). Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in an online conference that the COVID-19 pandemic is still accelerating and it is more than a health crises. "The pandemic is still accelerating...we know that the pandemic is much more than a health crisis, it's an economic crisis, a social crisis and in many countries a political crisis. Its effects will be felt for decades to come," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 9.2 million, death toll at 475,066

Voters in Bihar who test positive for COVID-19 will be allowed to cast their vote using postal ballot in the state assembly polls due later this year.

The Legislative Department in the Union Law Ministry has changed the Conduct of Election Rules to allow those suffering from COVID-19 to use postal ballot, a top ministry functionary said on Tuesday.

The Election Commission had approached the ministry recently to allow COVID-19 positive voters to use postal ballot to exercise their franchise.

"It was a fit case and we have agreed to change the rules. Recently we had allowed those above 80 years of age and people with disabilities to use postal ballot. In the same list, we have included COVID positive or those having symptoms," explained the functionary.

As of now, people with disabilities and those above 80 years of age have to fill form 12D to avail the postal ballot facility from the local returning officer.

After the outbreak of coronavirus in India, Bihar will be the first state to have assembly polls.

The EC had approached the government to tweak the rule as the pandemic could continue till the end of the year.

The Legislative Department is the nodal body for the Election Commission.

Election rules are amended after the Law Minister approves changes.

Bihar has nearly 7.20 crore voters and the term of the 243-member assembly ends on November 29 this year. The new assembly has to be formed before November 29.

Voters in Bihar who test positive for COVID-19 will be allowed to cast their vote using postal ballot in the state assembly polls due later this year. The Legislative Department in the Union Law Ministry has changed the Conduct of Election Rules to allow those suffering from COVID-19 to use postal ballot, a top ministry functionary said on Tuesday.

Voters in Bihar who test positive for COVID-19 will be allowed to cast their vote using postal ballot in the state assembly polls due later this year. The Legislative Department in the Union Law Ministry has changed the Conduct of Election Rules to allow those suffering from COVID-19 to use postal ballot, a top ministry functionary said on Tuesday. The Election Commission had approached the ministry recently to allow COVID-19 positive voters to use postal ballot to exercise their franchise. "It was a fit case and we have agreed to change the rules. Recently we had allowed those above 80 years of age and people with disabilities to use postal ballot. In the same list, we have included COVID positive or those having symptoms," explained the functionary. As of now, people with disabilities and those above 80 years of age have to fill form 12D to avail the postal ballot facility from the local returning officer. After the outbreak of coronavirus in India, Bihar will be the first state to have assembly polls. The EC had approached the government to tweak the rule as the pandemic could continue till the end of the year. The Legislative Department is the nodal body for the Election Commission. Election rules are amended after the Law Minister approves changes. Bihar has nearly 7.20 crore voters and the term of the 243-member assembly ends on November 29 this year. The new assembly has to be formed before November 29.

Law Ministry tweaks rule to allow use of postal ballot for those suffering from COVID-19

With record 445 deaths and 14,821 new COVID-19 positive cases in the last 24 hours, the total number of cases in India stands at 4,25,282, according to Ministry of Health.

With record 445 deaths and 14,821 new COVID-19 positive cases in the last 24 hours, the total number of cases in India stands at 4,25,282, according to Ministry of Health. Among the total number of cases, 1,74,387 are active cases while 2,37,196 cured/discharged/migrated and 13699 deaths have been recorded so far, the ministry said. The number of patients recovering from COVID-19 continues to increase in India. The recovery rate has further improved to 55.49 per cent amongst COVID-19 patients," the Ministry said in a statement said on Sunday. Meanwhile, Goa on Monday reported its first death due to COVID-19. An 85-year-old woman from Morlem in North Goa, who was diagnosed with coronavirus, has succumbed to the infection in the hospital. In an audio statement, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane confirmed and said, "Today, we had our first COVID-19 death of an 85-year-old lady in my constituency, Morlem. It is the first death reported in the state. My condolences to her family."

India records 445 deaths, 14,821 new cases in last 24 hours

Fourteen people died of coronavirus in West Bengal on Monday taking the death toll to 569, while 413 fresh cases raised the infection tally to 14,358, a health department bulletin said. 
&nbsp; 
Twelve out of the 14 deaths were due to comorbidities where Covid-19 was incidental, it said. 
&nbsp; 
The active cases in the state stand at 5,102.

Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus positive cases on per lakh people in India is one of the lowest in the world despite its high population density, and the recovery rate has now reached almost 56 per cent, the Union health ministry said on Monday.&nbsp;

For every one lakh population, there are 30.04 coronavirus cases in India, while the global average is over three times at 114.67, the ministry said, referring to the WHO Situation Report 153, dated June 21.

With record 445 deaths and 14,821 new COVID-19 positive cases in the last 24 hours, the total number of cases in India stands at 4, 25,282, according to Ministry of Health.

(With inputs from agencies)

Fourteen people died of coronavirus in West Bengal on Monday taking the death toll to 569, while 413 fresh cases raised the infection tally to 14,358, a health department bulletin said.

Fourteen people died of coronavirus in West Bengal on Monday taking the death toll to 569, while 413 fresh cases raised the infection tally to 14,358, a health department bulletin said. Twelve out of the 14 deaths were due to comorbidities where Covid-19 was incidental, it said. The active cases in the state stand at 5,102. Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus positive cases on per lakh people in India is one of the lowest in the world despite its high population density, and the recovery rate has now reached almost 56 per cent, the Union health ministry said on Monday. For every one lakh population, there are 30.04 coronavirus cases in India, while the global average is over three times at 114.67, the ministry said, referring to the WHO Situation Report 153, dated June 21. With record 445 deaths and 14,821 new COVID-19 positive cases in the last 24 hours, the total number of cases in India stands at 4, 25,282, according to Ministry of Health. (With inputs from agencies)

West Bengal: 14 more deaths take Covid-19 toll to 569; 413 fresh cases detected

Thirty-seven US service members at Guam's Andersen Air Force Base have tested positive for COVID-19, Brig. Gen. Gentry Boswell, commander of the 36th Wing, told media on Monday.

"It's unclear if the members contracted the coronavirus while on Guam or prior to arriving at Guam," said Boswell.

Over two-thirds of the new coronavirus deaths were reported in the Americas. Brazil reported the maximum number of cases 54,771, followed by 36,617 cases in the United States. India reported over 15,400 new cases.

Worldwide, at least 9,090,907 people have been confirmed to have the coronavirus, more than 4,867,252 have recovered, and more than 471,477 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.

(With inputs from agencies)

Thirty-seven US service members at Guam's Andersen Air Force Base have tested positive for COVID-19, Brig. Gen. Gentry Boswell, commander of the 36th Wing, told media on Monday.

Thirty-seven US service members at Guam's Andersen Air Force Base have tested positive for COVID-19, Brig. Gen. Gentry Boswell, commander of the 36th Wing, told media on Monday. "It's unclear if the members contracted the coronavirus while on Guam or prior to arriving at Guam," said Boswell. Over two-thirds of the new coronavirus deaths were reported in the Americas. Brazil reported the maximum number of cases 54,771, followed by 36,617 cases in the United States. India reported over 15,400 new cases. Worldwide, at least 9,090,907 people have been confirmed to have the coronavirus, more than 4,867,252 have recovered, and more than 471,477 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. (With inputs from agencies)

Coronavirus: 37 US Air Force service members test positive 

Confirmed COVID-19 cases have exceeded 9 million globally, with over 470,000 fatalities and more than 4.8 million recoveries, according to the latest tally.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-cannot-defeat-this-pandemic-with-a-divided-world-who-chief-307686">Also read: We cannot defeat this pandemic with a divided world, says WHO chief</a>

Country-wise, the United States continues to remain the worst-hit with 2,356,657 cases and 122,247 deaths, followed by Brazil (1,086,990 cases, 50,659 deaths), Russia (584,680 cases, 8,111 deaths), and India (426,910 cases, 13,703 deaths).

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-reports-record-daily-increase-in-global-coronavirus-cases-307555" hreflang="en">WHO reports record daily increase in global coronavirus cases</a>

Worldwide, at least 9,099,021 people have been confirmed to have the coronavirus, more than 4,873,128 have recovered, and more than 471,519 people have died.

More than half of the 9,099,021 cases are in Europe and the United States: Europe having recorded 2,537,451 and the United States 2,281,903.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-warns-of-new-and-dangerous-phase-of-coronavirus-pandemic-307244" hreflang="en">WHO warns of 'new and dangerous phase' of coronavirus pandemic</a>

The number of cases worldwide has doubled since May 16 and more than a million new cases have been recorded in the past seven days. The official figures nevertheless reflect only a fraction of the true number, as many countries only test serious cases.

Infections related to this deadly virus have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in an online conference that the COVID-19 pandemic is still accelerating and it is more than a health crises. &nbsp;

"The pandemic is still accelerating...we know that the pandemic is much more than a health crisis, it's an economic crisis, a social crisis and in many countries a political crisis. Its effects will be felt for decades to come," he said. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Confirmed COVID-19 cases have exceeded 9 million globally, with over 470,000 fatalities and more than 4.8 million recoveries, according to the latest tally. Also read: We cannot defeat this pandemic with a divided world, says WHO chief Country-wise, the United States continues to remain the worst-hit with 2,356,657 cases and 122,247 deaths, followed by Brazil (1,086,990 cases, 50,659 deaths), Russia (584,680 cases, 8,111 deaths), and India (426,910 cases, 13,703 deaths).

Confirmed COVID-19 cases have exceeded 9 million globally, with over 470,000 fatalities and more than 4.8 million recoveries, according to the latest tally. Also read: We cannot defeat this pandemic with a divided world, says WHO chief Country-wise, the United States continues to remain the worst-hit with 2,356,657 cases and 122,247 deaths, followed by Brazil (1,086,990 cases, 50,659 deaths), Russia (584,680 cases, 8,111 deaths), and India (426,910 cases, 13,703 deaths). Also read: WHO reports record daily increase in global coronavirus cases Worldwide, at least 9,099,021 people have been confirmed to have the coronavirus, more than 4,873,128 have recovered, and more than 471,519 people have died. More than half of the 9,099,021 cases are in Europe and the United States: Europe having recorded 2,537,451 and the United States 2,281,903. Also read: WHO warns of 'new and dangerous phase' of coronavirus pandemic The number of cases worldwide has doubled since May 16 and more than a million new cases have been recorded in the past seven days. The official figures nevertheless reflect only a fraction of the true number, as many countries only test serious cases. Infections related to this deadly virus have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in an online conference that the COVID-19 pandemic is still accelerating and it is more than a health crises. "The pandemic is still accelerating...we know that the pandemic is much more than a health crisis, it's an economic crisis, a social crisis and in many countries a political crisis. Its effects will be felt for decades to come," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 9 million, death toll at 471,519

The number of coronavirus positive cases on per lakh people in India is one of the lowest in the world despite its high population density, and the recovery rate has now reached almost 56 per cent, the Union health ministry said on Monday.&nbsp;

For every one lakh population, there are 30.04 coronavirus cases in India, while the global average is over three times at 114.67, the ministry said, referring to the WHO Situation Report 153, dated June 21.

With record 445 deaths and 14,821 new COVID-19 positive cases in the last 24 hours, the total number of cases in India stands at 4, 25,282, according to Ministry of Health.

Among the total number of cases, 1, 74,387 are active cases while 2, 37,196 cured/discharged/migrated and 13699 deaths have been recorded so far, the ministry said.&nbsp;

The number of patients recovering from COVID-19 continues to increase in India. The recovery rate has further improved to 55.49 per cent amongst COVID-19 patients," the Ministry said in a statement said on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Goa on Monday reported its first death due to COVID-19.

An 85-year-old woman from Morlem in North Goa, who was diagnosed with coronavirus, has succumbed to the infection in the hospital.

(With inputs from agencies)

The number of coronavirus positive cases on per lakh people in India is one of the lowest in the world despite its high population density, and the recovery rate has now reached almost 56 per cent, the Union health ministry said on Monday.

The number of coronavirus positive cases on per lakh people in India is one of the lowest in the world despite its high population density, and the recovery rate has now reached almost 56 per cent, the Union health ministry said on Monday. For every one lakh population, there are 30.04 coronavirus cases in India, while the global average is over three times at 114.67, the ministry said, referring to the WHO Situation Report 153, dated June 21. With record 445 deaths and 14,821 new COVID-19 positive cases in the last 24 hours, the total number of cases in India stands at 4, 25,282, according to Ministry of Health. Among the total number of cases, 1, 74,387 are active cases while 2, 37,196 cured/discharged/migrated and 13699 deaths have been recorded so far, the ministry said. The number of patients recovering from COVID-19 continues to increase in India. The recovery rate has further improved to 55.49 per cent amongst COVID-19 patients," the Ministry said in a statement said on Sunday. Meanwhile, Goa on Monday reported its first death due to COVID-19. An 85-year-old woman from Morlem in North Goa, who was diagnosed with coronavirus, has succumbed to the infection in the hospital. (With inputs from agencies)

India’s Covid-19 cases per lakh population one of the lowest globally: Union health ministry

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