India recorded 37,724 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing its tally to 11,92,915, while the total number of recoveries increased to 7,53,050, according to Union health ministry data on Wednesday.

The death toll due to the disease rose to 28,732 with 648 fatalities reported in a day, the data updated at 8 am showed.

There are 4,11,133 active cases of the coronavirus infection currently in the country.

On Tuesday the health ministry announced that India's COVID-19 recovery rate is increasing day by day and today it stands at 62.72 per cent.

Addressing the press conference in New Delhi, Rajesh Bhushan, Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Health Ministry said that there are currently 4,02,529 active cases in India and 7,24,577 people have recovered. 
The recovery rate in India is increasing, he said and added that today it is 62.72 per cent.

"The case facility rate in India is 2.43 per cent. A very important role in this is that of doctors and paramedical staff. AIIMS also has an important role. Case intensity rate is below the national average in many states," added Bhushan.

Earlier in the day, Bhushan said that number of COVID-19 deaths per million population in India continues to be among the lowest in the world. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

India recorded 37,724 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing its tally to 11,92,915, while the total number of recoveries increased to 7,53,050, according to Union health ministry data on Wednesday.

India recorded 37,724 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing its tally to 11,92,915, while the total number of recoveries increased to 7,53,050, according to Union health ministry data on Wednesday. The death toll due to the disease rose to 28,732 with 648 fatalities reported in a day, the data updated at 8 am showed. There are 4,11,133 active cases of the coronavirus infection currently in the country. On Tuesday the health ministry announced that India's COVID-19 recovery rate is increasing day by day and today it stands at 62.72 per cent. Addressing the press conference in New Delhi, Rajesh Bhushan, Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Health Ministry said that there are currently 4,02,529 active cases in India and 7,24,577 people have recovered. The recovery rate in India is increasing, he said and added that today it is 62.72 per cent. "The case facility rate in India is 2.43 per cent. A very important role in this is that of doctors and paramedical staff. AIIMS also has an important role. Case intensity rate is below the national average in many states," added Bhushan. Earlier in the day, Bhushan said that number of COVID-19 deaths per million population in India continues to be among the lowest in the world. (With inputs from agencies)

Coronavirus: 37,724 cases and 648 deaths reported in India in the last 24 hours

A total of 14,845,241 people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19, while more than 8,898,749 have recovered and 612,830 have died so far, according to the available data.

Country-wise, the US remains the most affected. It recorded over 62,000 cases in a day to take its tally to 3,961,429 cases, including 143,826 deaths. It is followed by Brazil, which has 2,121,645 cases, 80,251 and deaths, and India (1,155,143 cases, 28,099 deaths).

On a positive side, researchers have said that "Oxford University’s experimental coronavirus vaccine is safe and generated a strong immune response in the people who volunteered to help trial it", raising hopes it could contribute to ending the pandemic.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the European Union leaders broke the deadlock and solidified a deal to assist with post-pandemic recovery in the bloc. Officially announced on Tuesday morning, the deal with entail 750 billion Euros (roughly 859 billion USD) extended to member countries in the form of grants and loans in a bid to beat the recession triggered by COVID-19.

(With inputs from agencies)

A total of 14,845,241 people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19, while more than 8,898,749 have recovered and 612,830 have died so far, according to the available data.

A total of 14,845,241 people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19, while more than 8,898,749 have recovered and 612,830 have died so far, according to the available data. Country-wise, the US remains the most affected. It recorded over 62,000 cases in a day to take its tally to 3,961,429 cases, including 143,826 deaths. It is followed by Brazil, which has 2,121,645 cases, 80,251 and deaths, and India (1,155,143 cases, 28,099 deaths). On a positive side, researchers have said that "Oxford University’s experimental coronavirus vaccine is safe and generated a strong immune response in the people who volunteered to help trial it", raising hopes it could contribute to ending the pandemic. Meanwhile, the European Union leaders broke the deadlock and solidified a deal to assist with post-pandemic recovery in the bloc. Officially announced on Tuesday morning, the deal with entail 750 billion Euros (roughly 859 billion USD) extended to member countries in the form of grants and loans in a bid to beat the recession triggered by COVID-19. (With inputs from agencies)

Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 14.8 million, death toll at 612,830

With 37,148 new cases being reported in last 24 hours, the total number of coronaivrus cases in India has reached 11, 55,191. And the country's Covid-19 death toll has reached 28084.&nbsp;

Total COVID-19 positive cases stand at 11, 55,191 including 4, 02,529 active cases, 7, 24,578 cured/discharged/migrated and 28084 deaths, as per Ministry of Health and Family Welfare data.

Maharashtra has recorded 8,240 new cases in the last 24 hours to take its tally to 318,695.&nbsp;

On a positive side, researchers have said that "Oxford University’s experimental coronavirus vaccine is safe and generated a strong immune response in the people who volunteered to help trial it", raising hopes it could contribute to ending the pandemic.

Country-wise, the US remains th most affected. It recorded over 62,000 cases in a day to take its tally to 3,961,429 cases, including 143,826 deaths. It is followed by Brazil, which has 2,121,645 cases, 80,251 and deaths, and India (1,155,143 cases, 28,099 deaths). 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

With 37,148 new cases being reported in last 24 hours, the total number of coronaivrus cases in India has reached 11, 55,191. And the country's Covid-19 death toll has reached 28084.

With 37,148 new cases being reported in last 24 hours, the total number of coronaivrus cases in India has reached 11, 55,191. And the country's Covid-19 death toll has reached 28084. Total COVID-19 positive cases stand at 11, 55,191 including 4, 02,529 active cases, 7, 24,578 cured/discharged/migrated and 28084 deaths, as per Ministry of Health and Family Welfare data. Maharashtra has recorded 8,240 new cases in the last 24 hours to take its tally to 318,695. On a positive side, researchers have said that "Oxford University’s experimental coronavirus vaccine is safe and generated a strong immune response in the people who volunteered to help trial it", raising hopes it could contribute to ending the pandemic. Country-wise, the US remains th most affected. It recorded over 62,000 cases in a day to take its tally to 3,961,429 cases, including 143,826 deaths. It is followed by Brazil, which has 2,121,645 cases, 80,251 and deaths, and India (1,155,143 cases, 28,099 deaths). (With inputs from agencies)

37,148 new cases and 587 deaths in last 24 hours take India's tally past 11.5 lakh mark, death toll reaches 28084

With the trials of the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University showing encouraging results, Serum Institute of India (SII) on Monday said it will apply for a licence from the Indian regulator to start clinical trials of the shot in a week's time.

SII, the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world, has been chosen by Oxford and its partner AstraZeneca to manufacture the vaccine once it gets ready.

Earlier, Pune-based SII had said that it will start manufacturing the vaccine even before the final nod so as to be ready with sizeable volumes once the vaccine gets all permissions.

"The trials have shown promising results and we are extremely happy about it. We will be applying for the licensure trials to the Indian regulator in a week's time. As soon as they grant us permission, we will begin with the trials for the vaccine in India."

"In addition, we will soon start manufacturing the vaccine in large volumes," SII Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla said.

The interim results from the ongoing Phase I/II COV001 trial, led by Oxford University, showed that the vaccine was tolerated and generated robust immune responses against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in all evaluated participants, AstraZeneca said in a statement.

Earlier this month, Poonawalla had said that the SII was hoping to develop a COVID-19 vaccine by year-end as it was focusing on a "good and safe" product and is not in a "rush".

A coronavirus vaccine developed by the Oxford University appears safe and induces a strong immune response within the body, scientists announced on Monday after the first phase of "promising" human trials against the deadly disease that has infected over 1.45 crore people and claimed more than six lakh lives across the world.

Doses of the vaccine were given to 1,077 healthy adults aged between 18 and 55 in five UK hospitals in April and May as part of the phase one clinical trial and results, published in the Lancet' medical journal.

The results show they induced strong antibody and T-cell immune responses for up to 56 days after they were given.

T-cells are crucial for maintaining protection against the virus for years. The findings are seen as promising, but experts feel it is too soon to know if this is enough to offer protection as larger trials get underway.

Scientists behind the trials found the response could be even greater after a second dose.

"The Phase I/II data for our coronavirus vaccine shows that the vaccine did not lead to any unexpected reactions and had a similar safety profile to previous vaccines of this type."

"The immune responses observed following vaccination are in line with what previous animal studies have shown are associated with protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, although we must continue with our rigorous clinical trial program to confirm this in humans," said Professor Andrew Pollard, Chief investigator of the Oxford Vaccine Trial at Oxford University and co-author of the study.

"We saw the strongest immune response in the 10 participants who received two doses of the vaccine, indicating that this might be a good strategy for vaccination," he said.

Since emerging in the central Chinese city of Wuhan last year, the virus has killed over 606,000 people and infected more than 14,538,000 people worldwide.

In India, the virus has caused 27,497 deaths and infected over 11 lakh people, according to latest official figures.

With the trials of the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University showing encouraging results, Serum Institute of India (SII) on Monday said it will apply for a licence from the Indian regulator to start clinical trials of the shot in a week's time.

With the trials of the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University showing encouraging results, Serum Institute of India (SII) on Monday said it will apply for a licence from the Indian regulator to start clinical trials of the shot in a week's time. SII, the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world, has been chosen by Oxford and its partner AstraZeneca to manufacture the vaccine once it gets ready. Earlier, Pune-based SII had said that it will start manufacturing the vaccine even before the final nod so as to be ready with sizeable volumes once the vaccine gets all permissions. "The trials have shown promising results and we are extremely happy about it. We will be applying for the licensure trials to the Indian regulator in a week's time. As soon as they grant us permission, we will begin with the trials for the vaccine in India." "In addition, we will soon start manufacturing the vaccine in large volumes," SII Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla said. The interim results from the ongoing Phase I/II COV001 trial, led by Oxford University, showed that the vaccine was tolerated and generated robust immune responses against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in all evaluated participants, AstraZeneca said in a statement. Earlier this month, Poonawalla had said that the SII was hoping to develop a COVID-19 vaccine by year-end as it was focusing on a "good and safe" product and is not in a "rush". A coronavirus vaccine developed by the Oxford University appears safe and induces a strong immune response within the body, scientists announced on Monday after the first phase of "promising" human trials against the deadly disease that has infected over 1.45 crore people and claimed more than six lakh lives across the world. Doses of the vaccine were given to 1,077 healthy adults aged between 18 and 55 in five UK hospitals in April and May as part of the phase one clinical trial and results, published in the Lancet' medical journal. The results show they induced strong antibody and T-cell immune responses for up to 56 days after they were given. T-cells are crucial for maintaining protection against the virus for years. The findings are seen as promising, but experts feel it is too soon to know if this is enough to offer protection as larger trials get underway. Scientists behind the trials found the response could be even greater after a second dose. "The Phase I/II data for our coronavirus vaccine shows that the vaccine did not lead to any unexpected reactions and had a similar safety profile to previous vaccines of this type." "The immune responses observed following vaccination are in line with what previous animal studies have shown are associated with protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, although we must continue with our rigorous clinical trial program to confirm this in humans," said Professor Andrew Pollard, Chief investigator of the Oxford Vaccine Trial at Oxford University and co-author of the study. "We saw the strongest immune response in the 10 participants who received two doses of the vaccine, indicating that this might be a good strategy for vaccination," he said. Since emerging in the central Chinese city of Wuhan last year, the virus has killed over 606,000 people and infected more than 14,538,000 people worldwide. In India, the virus has caused 27,497 deaths and infected over 11 lakh people, according to latest official figures.

Serum Institute of India to apply for local trials on Oxford's vaccine in a week

An aerosol-based treatment could drastically reduce the number of new coronavirus patients dying from the disease or requiring intensive care, according to preliminary results released Monday by a British biotech firm.

In a randomised trial of 100 patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19, those who received an inhaled formula of the protein interferon beta were at 79 percent lower risk of developing severe disease compared to those who received a placebo.

They were also more than twice as likely to make a full recovery compared with the control group.

The firm behind the treatment, known as SNG001, said the preliminary results suggested "a major breakthrough" in the pandemic.

"We are all delighted with the trial results announced today, which showed that SNG001 greatly reduced the number of hospitalised COVID-19 patients who progressed from requiring oxygen to requiring ventilation," said Richard Marsden, CEO of Synairgen.

The results published Monday have not yet been peer-reviewed and the sample size is relatively small.

But if confirmed the treatment could revolutionise the way COVID-19 is dealt with in hospitals.

"Game changer"

Interferon beta is a naturally occurring protein, commonly used to treat multiple sclerosis.

It forms part of the body's natural fight against infection, and the novel coronavirus suppresses its production in an attempt to evade an immune response.

Delivering the protein directly into the lungs of patients is designed to trigger a robust immune response to the virus, even in patients whose immune system is already weakened by infection.

"The results confirm our belief that interferon beta... has huge potential as an inhaled drug to be able to restore the lung's immune response," said Tom Wilkinson, professor or respiratory medicine at the University of Southampton.

He said the trial showed SNG001 was effective in "enhancing protection, accelerating recover and countering the impact of SARS-CoV-2 virus."

Naveed Sattar, professor of metabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow said the new treatment "could be a game changer".

"With small (trial) numbers comes less certainty on the true level of benefit, or whether benefits vary between people with differing risk characteristics," said Sattar, who was not involved in the research.

"Such work would require a larger trial but, even so, these results are very exciting."

There are currently a number of treatments available for patients hospitalised with COVID-19.

Last month a Britain-based team of researchers lead by the University of Oxford announced they had successfully reduced the risk of death among seriously ill patients by administering the commonly available steroid dexamethasone.

Several countries have also issued the emergency authorisation for treatment with anti-viral remdesivir.

An aerosol-based treatment could drastically reduce the number of new coronavirus patients dying from the disease or requiring intensive care, according to preliminary results released Monday by a British biotech firm.

An aerosol-based treatment could drastically reduce the number of new coronavirus patients dying from the disease or requiring intensive care, according to preliminary results released Monday by a British biotech firm. In a randomised trial of 100 patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19, those who received an inhaled formula of the protein interferon beta were at 79 percent lower risk of developing severe disease compared to those who received a placebo. They were also more than twice as likely to make a full recovery compared with the control group. The firm behind the treatment, known as SNG001, said the preliminary results suggested "a major breakthrough" in the pandemic. "We are all delighted with the trial results announced today, which showed that SNG001 greatly reduced the number of hospitalised COVID-19 patients who progressed from requiring oxygen to requiring ventilation," said Richard Marsden, CEO of Synairgen. The results published Monday have not yet been peer-reviewed and the sample size is relatively small. But if confirmed the treatment could revolutionise the way COVID-19 is dealt with in hospitals. "Game changer" Interferon beta is a naturally occurring protein, commonly used to treat multiple sclerosis. It forms part of the body's natural fight against infection, and the novel coronavirus suppresses its production in an attempt to evade an immune response. Delivering the protein directly into the lungs of patients is designed to trigger a robust immune response to the virus, even in patients whose immune system is already weakened by infection. "The results confirm our belief that interferon beta... has huge potential as an inhaled drug to be able to restore the lung's immune response," said Tom Wilkinson, professor or respiratory medicine at the University of Southampton. He said the trial showed SNG001 was effective in "enhancing protection, accelerating recover and countering the impact of SARS-CoV-2 virus." Naveed Sattar, professor of metabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow said the new treatment "could be a game changer". "With small (trial) numbers comes less certainty on the true level of benefit, or whether benefits vary between people with differing risk characteristics," said Sattar, who was not involved in the research. "Such work would require a larger trial but, even so, these results are very exciting." There are currently a number of treatments available for patients hospitalised with COVID-19. Last month a Britain-based team of researchers lead by the University of Oxford announced they had successfully reduced the risk of death among seriously ill patients by administering the commonly available steroid dexamethasone. Several countries have also issued the emergency authorisation for treatment with anti-viral remdesivir.

‘Breakthrough’ treatment slashes death risk among Covid-19 patients: Study

President Donald Trump on Monday offered his strongest endorsement for wearing face masks in public, tweeting that it is a “Patriotic” action to take during the coronavirus pandemic.

For months Trump has been refusing to encourage mask wearing as a way to combat the coronavirus.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/they-could-have-stopped-the-virus-but-didnt-trump-lashes-out-at-china-again-314740">Also read: They could have stopped the virus but didn't — Trump lashes out at China again</a> 
 
“There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President!” Trump tweeted.

"We are united in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can't socially distance," Trump wrote.

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We are United in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can’t socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President! <a href="https://t.co/iQOd1whktN">pic.twitter.com/iQOd1whktN</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1285299379746811915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The tweet from the president appearing to endorse the use of face coverings in public follows months of mixed messages on whether he believed they were an essential tool to help prevent transmission of the disease.

The stylish photo and exhortation for Americans to unite around masks was a far cry from Trump's longtime mocking of masks as symbols of weakness during a pandemic that he has repeatedly suggested is overblown.

However, his tweet stopped well short of endorsing calls from some for a nationwide mandate to wear masks in public.

The nation's top medical authorities -- backed by several leading Republican figures -- say that mask wearing is crucial to halting the disease.

Amid a fierce resurgence of the virus in southern and western states -- including some that are Republican strongholds -- Trump has come under new pressure to change his tune.

He only wore a mask in public for the first time on July 11.By contrast, his Democratic challenger in the November presidential election, Joe Biden, has worn a mask in public for months. 
 
(With inputs from AFP)

President Donald Trump on Monday offered his strongest endorsement for wearing face masks in public, tweeting that it is a “Patriotic” action to take during the coronavirus pandemic.

President Donald Trump on Monday offered his strongest endorsement for wearing face masks in public, tweeting that it is a “Patriotic” action to take during the coronavirus pandemic. For months Trump has been refusing to encourage mask wearing as a way to combat the coronavirus. Also read: They could have stopped the virus but didn't — Trump lashes out at China again “There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President!” Trump tweeted. "We are united in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can't socially distance," Trump wrote. We are United in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can’t socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President! pic.twitter.com/iQOd1whktN — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 20, 2020 × The tweet from the president appearing to endorse the use of face coverings in public follows months of mixed messages on whether he believed they were an essential tool to help prevent transmission of the disease. The stylish photo and exhortation for Americans to unite around masks was a far cry from Trump's longtime mocking of masks as symbols of weakness during a pandemic that he has repeatedly suggested is overblown. However, his tweet stopped well short of endorsing calls from some for a nationwide mandate to wear masks in public. The nation's top medical authorities -- backed by several leading Republican figures -- say that mask wearing is crucial to halting the disease. Amid a fierce resurgence of the virus in southern and western states -- including some that are Republican strongholds -- Trump has come under new pressure to change his tune. He only wore a mask in public for the first time on July 11.By contrast, his Democratic challenger in the November presidential election, Joe Biden, has worn a mask in public for months. (With inputs from AFP)

After months of resisting wearing one, Trump says wearing mask 'patriotic' in tweet

The emergencies chief of WHO Michael Ryan has said that the two studies that offered new hope of a potential vaccine for the novel coronavirus on Monday are a 'positive result' but warns 'there is a long way to go'. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/oxford-astrazeneca-coronavirus-vaccine-trial-safe-produced-immune-response-data-reveals-314716">Also Read:&nbsp;Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine trial: Safe &amp; produced immune response, data reveals</a>

“We now need to move into larger-scale real-world trials. But it is good to see more data and more products moving into this very important phase of vaccine discovery,” Dr Michael Ryan said.

Ryan's comments came as scientists at Oxford University, in a paper published in The Lancet, said their experimental vaccine had been shown to trigger a protective immune response in hundreds of people who got the shot.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/oxford-university-set-to-present-initial-trial-data-as-uk-secures-90-million-doses-of-potential-cornavirus-vaccines-314690">Also Read: UK secures 90 million doses of potential cornavirus vaccines</a>

According to reports, the vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca in the UK showed it was "safe, well tolerated and immunogenic", the vaccine according to Lancet also showed single dose elicited both "humoral and cellular responses against the virus". 
&nbsp;

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AstraZeneca's experimental coronavirus vaccine was safe and produced an immune response in early-stage clinical trials in healthy volunteers, data revealed.

Vaccine developer Sarah Gilbert said: "There is still much work to be done before we can confirm if our vaccine will help manage the COVID-19 pandemic, but these early results hold promise," while adding, “we still do not know how strong an immune response we need to provoke to effectively protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection."

The Lancet medical journal said the vaccine AZD1222 under development by AstraZeneca and scientists at Britain's Oxford University did not prompt any serious side effects and elicited antibody and T-cell immune responses

The research took groups with co-morbidities, health-care workers and those with a higher risk for efficacy, safety and immunogenicity towards the virus given as single dose or two-dose administration regimen in further trials conducted in the UK and overseas.

Phase-3 trials are now underway in Brazil, South Africa and the UK. According to reports, no serious adverse reactions to the virus occurred. The majority of adverse events reported were mild or moderate in severity.

(With inputs from agencies)

The emergencies chief of WHO Michael Ryan has said that the two studies that offered new hope of a potential vaccine for the novel coronavirus on Monday are a 'positive result' but warns 'there is a long way to go'.

The emergencies chief of WHO Michael Ryan has said that the two studies that offered new hope of a potential vaccine for the novel coronavirus on Monday are a 'positive result' but warns 'there is a long way to go'. Also Read: Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine trial: Safe & produced immune response, data reveals “We now need to move into larger-scale real-world trials. But it is good to see more data and more products moving into this very important phase of vaccine discovery,” Dr Michael Ryan said. Ryan's comments came as scientists at Oxford University, in a paper published in The Lancet, said their experimental vaccine had been shown to trigger a protective immune response in hundreds of people who got the shot. Also Read: UK secures 90 million doses of potential cornavirus vaccines According to reports, the vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca in the UK showed it was "safe, well tolerated and immunogenic", the vaccine according to Lancet also showed single dose elicited both "humoral and cellular responses against the virus". AstraZeneca's experimental coronavirus vaccine was safe and produced an immune response in early-stage clinical trials in healthy volunteers, data revealed. Vaccine developer Sarah Gilbert said: "There is still much work to be done before we can confirm if our vaccine will help manage the COVID-19 pandemic, but these early results hold promise," while adding, “we still do not know how strong an immune response we need to provoke to effectively protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection." The Lancet medical journal said the vaccine AZD1222 under development by AstraZeneca and scientists at Britain's Oxford University did not prompt any serious side effects and elicited antibody and T-cell immune responses The research took groups with co-morbidities, health-care workers and those with a higher risk for efficacy, safety and immunogenicity towards the virus given as single dose or two-dose administration regimen in further trials conducted in the UK and overseas. Phase-3 trials are now underway in Brazil, South Africa and the UK. According to reports, no serious adverse reactions to the virus occurred. The majority of adverse events reported were mild or moderate in severity. (With inputs from agencies)

COVID-19 vaccine: WHO applauds Oxford coronavirus vaccine data, but warns there’s still a long way to go

The prevalence of the novel coronavirus in Spain has risen three-fold over the last three weeks as authorities struggle to contain a rash of fresh clusters, mainly in the Catalonia and Aragon regions, Health Ministry data showed on Monday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/oxford-astrazeneca-coronavirus-vaccine-trial-safe-produced-immune-response-data-reveals-314716">Also Read:&nbsp;Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine trial: Safe &amp; produced immune response, data reveals</a>

After registering thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths per day during an early April peak, Spain succeeded in slowing the number of new infections to a trickle.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/oxford-university-set-to-present-initial-trial-data-as-uk-secures-90-million-doses-of-potential-cornavirus-vaccines-314690">Also Read: UK secures 90 million doses of potential cornavirus vaccines</a>

But since restrictions on movement were lifted and Spaniards relaxed back into daily life, some 201 new clusters have appeared, with heavy concentrations in and around the Catalan cities of Barcelona and Lleida.

The occurrence of the novel coronavirus has jumped from eight cases per 100,000 inhabitants at the end of June, when the country’s state of emergency ended, to 27 per 100,000, deputy health emergency chief Maria Sierra told a news conference on Monday.

Over the weekend 4,581 new cases were recorded, bringing the total to 264,836, she added. More than 28,000 people have died.

“Where measures have been relaxed is where these clusters appear,” Health Minister Salvador Illa said. “We’re talking about gatherings of extended family and spaces associated with nightlife.”

Describing the situation in Catalonia as concerning, he appealed to residents to respect health measures.

On Friday the Catalan regional government urged some four million people, including residents of Spain’s second largest city Barcelona, to stay at home and avoid gatherings of more than 10 people. It also told bars and restaurants to reduce their capacity.

That was in addition to ordering the mandatory confinement of at least 160,000 people around Lleida.

To try to prevent similar outbreaks, most Spanish regions have made face masks compulsory even when social-distancing can be guaranteed, going further than a national directive.

The prevalence of the novel coronavirus in Spain has risen three-fold over the last three weeks as authorities struggle to contain a rash of fresh clusters, mainly in the Catalonia and Aragon regions, Health Ministry data showed on Monday.

The prevalence of the novel coronavirus in Spain has risen three-fold over the last three weeks as authorities struggle to contain a rash of fresh clusters, mainly in the Catalonia and Aragon regions, Health Ministry data showed on Monday. Also Read: Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine trial: Safe & produced immune response, data reveals After registering thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths per day during an early April peak, Spain succeeded in slowing the number of new infections to a trickle. Also Read: UK secures 90 million doses of potential cornavirus vaccines But since restrictions on movement were lifted and Spaniards relaxed back into daily life, some 201 new clusters have appeared, with heavy concentrations in and around the Catalan cities of Barcelona and Lleida. The occurrence of the novel coronavirus has jumped from eight cases per 100,000 inhabitants at the end of June, when the country’s state of emergency ended, to 27 per 100,000, deputy health emergency chief Maria Sierra told a news conference on Monday. Over the weekend 4,581 new cases were recorded, bringing the total to 264,836, she added. More than 28,000 people have died. “Where measures have been relaxed is where these clusters appear,” Health Minister Salvador Illa said. “We’re talking about gatherings of extended family and spaces associated with nightlife.” Describing the situation in Catalonia as concerning, he appealed to residents to respect health measures. On Friday the Catalan regional government urged some four million people, including residents of Spain’s second largest city Barcelona, to stay at home and avoid gatherings of more than 10 people. It also told bars and restaurants to reduce their capacity. That was in addition to ordering the mandatory confinement of at least 160,000 people around Lleida. To try to prevent similar outbreaks, most Spanish regions have made face masks compulsory even when social-distancing can be guaranteed, going further than a national directive.

Spain’s coronavirus rate triples in three weeks after COVID-19 lockdown easing

India's coronavirus cases tally crosses 11 lakh mark with highest single day spike of 40,425 new cases and 681 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.&nbsp;

According to the data provided by the health ministry total cases stand at 11, 18,043 including 3, 90,459 active cases, 7, 00,087 cured/discharged/migrated.

The death toll of India stands at 27,497. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Gujarat have reported the highest number of cases. However, the recovery rate is rising and now stands at 62.6 percent.

The number of recovered COVID-19 patients exceeds India's active caseload by 3,390459 as on Monday with 7 lakh people having recuperated from the disease so far, the Union Health Ministry said.

With 3,10,455 confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far, Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state in the country, followed by Tamil Nadu (1,70,693) and Delhi (1,22,793).

Meanwhile, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University show more than 14 million cases worldwide since the start of the pandemic.

The total number of cases stood at 14,430,943, while the fatalities rose to 604,725, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

India's coronavirus cases tally crosses 11 lakh mark with highest single day spike of 40,425 new cases and 681 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. According to the data provided by the health ministry total cases stand at 11, 18,043 including 3, 90,459 active cases, 7, 00,087 cured/discharged/migrated.

India's coronavirus cases tally crosses 11 lakh mark with highest single day spike of 40,425 new cases and 681 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. According to the data provided by the health ministry total cases stand at 11, 18,043 including 3, 90,459 active cases, 7, 00,087 cured/discharged/migrated. The death toll of India stands at 27,497. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Gujarat have reported the highest number of cases. However, the recovery rate is rising and now stands at 62.6 percent. The number of recovered COVID-19 patients exceeds India's active caseload by 3,390459 as on Monday with 7 lakh people having recuperated from the disease so far, the Union Health Ministry said. With 3,10,455 confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far, Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state in the country, followed by Tamil Nadu (1,70,693) and Delhi (1,22,793). Meanwhile, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University show more than 14 million cases worldwide since the start of the pandemic. The total number of cases stood at 14,430,943, while the fatalities rose to 604,725, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update. (With inputs from agencies)

Coronavirus: Confirmed cases rise to 11.1 lakh, death toll at 27,497

The number of deaths in US due to novel coronavirus has now crossed 140,000 and the country has recorded 63,872 new coronavirus cases in the previous 24 hours, according to the latest John Hopkins University data.

July has been the deadliest month of the pandemic in Texas, with nearly a third of the more than 3,700 coronavirus deaths in the state reported so far this month.

In one county, 85 infants under the age of one have tested positive.

That put the total number of cases in the US, the nation hardest hit by the global pandemic, at 3,762,081, the Baltimore-based University said at 8:30 pm.

Another 514 deaths were reported, bringing total fatalities to 140,474.

The US has recorded more than 60,000 new cases every day for the last six days, peaking at a record 77,638 infections on Friday.

America is losing about 5,000 people to the virus every week. By contrast, neighbouring Canada has reported total deaths of 8,800 since the pandemic started. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The number of deaths in US due to novel coronavirus has now crossed 140,000 and the country has recorded 63,872 new coronavirus cases in the previous 24 hours, according to the latest John Hopkins University data.

The number of deaths in US due to novel coronavirus has now crossed 140,000 and the country has recorded 63,872 new coronavirus cases in the previous 24 hours, according to the latest John Hopkins University data. July has been the deadliest month of the pandemic in Texas, with nearly a third of the more than 3,700 coronavirus deaths in the state reported so far this month. In one county, 85 infants under the age of one have tested positive. That put the total number of cases in the US, the nation hardest hit by the global pandemic, at 3,762,081, the Baltimore-based University said at 8:30 pm. Another 514 deaths were reported, bringing total fatalities to 140,474. The US has recorded more than 60,000 new cases every day for the last six days, peaking at a record 77,638 infections on Friday. America is losing about 5,000 people to the virus every week. By contrast, neighbouring Canada has reported total deaths of 8,800 since the pandemic started. (With inputs from agencies)

US coronavirus cases rise by more than 60,000 in one day to surpass 3.76 million: Johns Hopkins University

With some countries battling the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus, and some still struggling with containing the first wave, the number of coronavirus cases seem to be increasing at an alarming stage.

Data compiled by Johns Hopkins University show more than 14 million cases worldwide since the start of the pandemic. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beijing-lowers-coronavirus-level-from-2-to-3-gyms-and-restaurants-now-reopen-314453">Also read: Beijing lowers coronavirus level from 2 to 3; gyms and restaurants now reopen</a> 
 
The total number of cases stood at 14,430,943, while the fatalities rose to 604,725, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.

The US accounted for the world's highest number of infections and fatalities at 3,763,395 and 140,477, respectively, according to the CSSE.

Brazil came in second place with 2,098,389 infections and 79,488 deaths.

On Sunday, the number of new cases of coronavirus rose by almost 260,000 in 24 hours -- the largest single-day increase since the pandemic began, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The surge means that 1 million cases were reported in under 100 hours.

Meanwhile, Clinical trials of Russia's coronavirus vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology jointly with the Russian Defense Ministry are wrapping up at the Burdenko Main Military Clinical Hospital, the vaccine is safe and reliable, Sergey Borisevich, the head of the 48th Central Scientific Research Institute of the Russian Defense Ministry, said.

"The clinical trials of the Russian vaccine against the coronavirus are ending at the Burdenko hospital … Today, on July 20, the second and last group of volunteers comprising 20 people is being released from the military hospital," Borisevich told Krasnaya Zvezda, the official newspaper of the Russian Defense Ministry. 
 
(With input from agencies)

With some countries battling the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus, and some still struggling with containing the first wave, the number of coronavirus cases seem to be increasing at an alarming stage.

With some countries battling the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus, and some still struggling with containing the first wave, the number of coronavirus cases seem to be increasing at an alarming stage. Data compiled by Johns Hopkins University show more than 14 million cases worldwide since the start of the pandemic. Also read: Beijing lowers coronavirus level from 2 to 3; gyms and restaurants now reopen The total number of cases stood at 14,430,943, while the fatalities rose to 604,725, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update. The US accounted for the world's highest number of infections and fatalities at 3,763,395 and 140,477, respectively, according to the CSSE. Brazil came in second place with 2,098,389 infections and 79,488 deaths. On Sunday, the number of new cases of coronavirus rose by almost 260,000 in 24 hours -- the largest single-day increase since the pandemic began, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The surge means that 1 million cases were reported in under 100 hours. Meanwhile, Clinical trials of Russia's coronavirus vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology jointly with the Russian Defense Ministry are wrapping up at the Burdenko Main Military Clinical Hospital, the vaccine is safe and reliable, Sergey Borisevich, the head of the 48th Central Scientific Research Institute of the Russian Defense Ministry, said. "The clinical trials of the Russian vaccine against the coronavirus are ending at the Burdenko hospital … Today, on July 20, the second and last group of volunteers comprising 20 people is being released from the military hospital," Borisevich told Krasnaya Zvezda, the official newspaper of the Russian Defense Ministry. (With input from agencies)

Global cases of COVID-19 jumps to 14.4 million; death toll crosses 600,000

India's COVID-19 case fatality rate is "progressively falling" and is currently at 2.49 per cent, which is one of the lowest in the world, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday, crediting efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases for it.

According to a Health Ministry statement, the case fatality rate (CFR) has fallen below 2.5 per cent for the first time.

India's COVID-19 case fatality rate declined from 3.2 per cent around May 12 to 2.82 per cent around June 1.

It declined further to 2.72 per cent on July 10 and to 2.49 per cent at present.

The number of recovered COVID-19 patients exceeds India's active caseload by 3,04,043 with 6.77 lakh people having recuperated from the disease so far, the ministry said as the coronavirus infection tally surged to 10,77,618 and the death toll rose to 26,816 on Sunday.

Medical attention is being provided to all the 3,73,379 active cases, in hospitals and home isolation, the ministry said.

"The total number of recovered cases is 6,77,422.The recovery rate as of now is at 62.86 per cent," the ministry said.

There are 29 states and union territories with a case fatality rate (CFR) lower than national average, with five of them having a CFR of zero and 14 having fatality rate of less than 1 per cent.

The focused efforts of the Centre and the state and UT governments on efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases have ensured that India's case fatality rate has fallen below 2.5 per cent, the ministry said.

With effective containment strategy, aggressive testing and standardized clinical management protocols based on holistic standard of care approach, the CFR has significantly dipped, it said.

"The CFR is progressively falling and currently, it is 2.49 per cent. India has one of the lowest fatality rates in the world," the ministry said.

Under the guidance of the Centre, the state and UT governments have ramped up testing and hospital infrastructure by combining public and private sector efforts, the ministry said.

Many states have conducted the population surveys to map and identify the vulnerable population like the elderly, pregnant women and those with comorbidities.

This, with the help of technological solutions like mobile apps, has ensured keeping the high-risk population under continuous observation, thus aiding early identification, timely clinical treatment and reducing fatalities, the ministry said.

"At the ground level, frontline health workers like ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) and ANMs (Auxiliary Nursing Midwives) have done a commendable job of managing the migrant population and to enhance awareness at the community level.

"As a result, there are 29 States and UTs with CFR lower than India's average. This shows commendable work done by public health apparatus of the country," the ministry said.

Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands have zero case fatality rate.

States and UTs having a CFR below the national average include Tripura (0.19 pc), Assam (0.23 pc), Kerala (0.34 pc), Odisha (0.51 pc), Goa (0.60 pc), Himachal Pradesh (0.75 pc), Bihar (0.83 pc), Telangana (0.93 pc), Andhra Pradesh (1.31 pc), Tamil Nadu (1.45 pc), Chandigarh (1.71 pc), Rajasthan (1.94 pc), Karnataka (2.08 pc) and Uttar Pradesh (2.36 pc).

India saw a record single-day jump of 38,902 COVID-19 cases pushing its tally to 10, 77,618 on Sunday, while the death toll due to the disease rose to 26,816 with 543 fatalities being reported in 24 hours, according to the health ministry data updated at 8 AM.

The country's testing infrastructure has been substantially ramped up.

The testing strategy prescribed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) allows all registered medical practitioners to recommend testing.

The Rapid Antigen Point of Care (POC) Test, coupled with the facilitation of widespread gold-standard RT-PCR based testing by states and UTs, has resulted in a surge in the number of samples tested.

A total of 3, 58,127 samples were tested in on Saturday.

With a total of 1, 37, 91,869 samples tested so far, the testing per million (TPM) for India has reached 9994.1, the ministry said.

India's COVID-19 case fatality rate is "progressively falling" and is currently at 2.49 per cent, which is one of the lowest in the world, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday, crediting efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases for it.

India's COVID-19 case fatality rate is "progressively falling" and is currently at 2.49 per cent, which is one of the lowest in the world, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday, crediting efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases for it. According to a Health Ministry statement, the case fatality rate (CFR) has fallen below 2.5 per cent for the first time. India's COVID-19 case fatality rate declined from 3.2 per cent around May 12 to 2.82 per cent around June 1. It declined further to 2.72 per cent on July 10 and to 2.49 per cent at present. The number of recovered COVID-19 patients exceeds India's active caseload by 3,04,043 with 6.77 lakh people having recuperated from the disease so far, the ministry said as the coronavirus infection tally surged to 10,77,618 and the death toll rose to 26,816 on Sunday. Medical attention is being provided to all the 3,73,379 active cases, in hospitals and home isolation, the ministry said. "The total number of recovered cases is 6,77,422.The recovery rate as of now is at 62.86 per cent," the ministry said. There are 29 states and union territories with a case fatality rate (CFR) lower than national average, with five of them having a CFR of zero and 14 having fatality rate of less than 1 per cent. The focused efforts of the Centre and the state and UT governments on efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases have ensured that India's case fatality rate has fallen below 2.5 per cent, the ministry said. With effective containment strategy, aggressive testing and standardized clinical management protocols based on holistic standard of care approach, the CFR has significantly dipped, it said. "The CFR is progressively falling and currently, it is 2.49 per cent. India has one of the lowest fatality rates in the world," the ministry said. Under the guidance of the Centre, the state and UT governments have ramped up testing and hospital infrastructure by combining public and private sector efforts, the ministry said. Many states have conducted the population surveys to map and identify the vulnerable population like the elderly, pregnant women and those with comorbidities. This, with the help of technological solutions like mobile apps, has ensured keeping the high-risk population under continuous observation, thus aiding early identification, timely clinical treatment and reducing fatalities, the ministry said. "At the ground level, frontline health workers like ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) and ANMs (Auxiliary Nursing Midwives) have done a commendable job of managing the migrant population and to enhance awareness at the community level. "As a result, there are 29 States and UTs with CFR lower than India's average. This shows commendable work done by public health apparatus of the country," the ministry said. Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands have zero case fatality rate. States and UTs having a CFR below the national average include Tripura (0.19 pc), Assam (0.23 pc), Kerala (0.34 pc), Odisha (0.51 pc), Goa (0.60 pc), Himachal Pradesh (0.75 pc), Bihar (0.83 pc), Telangana (0.93 pc), Andhra Pradesh (1.31 pc), Tamil Nadu (1.45 pc), Chandigarh (1.71 pc), Rajasthan (1.94 pc), Karnataka (2.08 pc) and Uttar Pradesh (2.36 pc). India saw a record single-day jump of 38,902 COVID-19 cases pushing its tally to 10, 77,618 on Sunday, while the death toll due to the disease rose to 26,816 with 543 fatalities being reported in 24 hours, according to the health ministry data updated at 8 AM. The country's testing infrastructure has been substantially ramped up. The testing strategy prescribed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) allows all registered medical practitioners to recommend testing. The Rapid Antigen Point of Care (POC) Test, coupled with the facilitation of widespread gold-standard RT-PCR based testing by states and UTs, has resulted in a surge in the number of samples tested. A total of 3, 58,127 samples were tested in on Saturday. With a total of 1, 37, 91,869 samples tested so far, the testing per million (TPM) for India has reached 9994.1, the ministry said.

India's COVID-19 case fatality rate falls below 2.5 per cent for first time: Health Ministry

As the vaccine race is picking up, global focus is shifting to India. The country houses the world’s largest vaccine manufacturers and produces over 3 billion vaccine doses every year.

World depends on India to mass-produce COVID-19 vaccine

Total Covid-19 confirmed cases in India rose past 9.66 lakh as authorities reported the largest ever spike in fresh cases.&nbsp;

India has recorded over 32,000 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total number of Covid-19 cases to 9, 68,876, according to the Health Ministry’s 8 AM update on July 16.&nbsp;

Of these, more than 6.1 lakh have been cured or discharged, while over 3.3 lakh are active cases.

Total number of confirmed coronavirus cases: 9, 68,876&nbsp; 
 
Active cases: 3, 31,146&nbsp; 
 
Cured/discharged/migrated: 6, 12,815&nbsp; 
 
Total Deaths: 24,915&nbsp; 
 
New cases in last 24 hours: 32,695&nbsp; 
 
Recoveries in last 24 hours: 20,783&nbsp; 
 
Deaths in last 24 hours: 606

Meanwhile, as many as 13,691,674 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19, While more than 8,030,267 have recovered, 586,821 have died so far, according to Worldometer.

Country-wise, the United States remains the most affected. It has recorded over 70,000 cases in a day, taking its tally of cases to 3,615,991 and death toll to 140,105. The US is followed by Brazil, which has 1,970,909 cases and 75,523 deaths, and India (970,169 cases, 24,929 deaths).

Total Covid-19 confirmed cases in India rose past 9.66 lakh as authorities reported the largest ever spike in fresh cases. India has recorded over 32,000 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total number of Covid-19 cases to 9, 68,876, according to the Health Ministry’s 8 AM update on July 16.

Total Covid-19 confirmed cases in India rose past 9.66 lakh as authorities reported the largest ever spike in fresh cases. India has recorded over 32,000 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total number of Covid-19 cases to 9, 68,876, according to the Health Ministry’s 8 AM update on July 16. Of these, more than 6.1 lakh have been cured or discharged, while over 3.3 lakh are active cases. Total number of confirmed coronavirus cases: 9, 68,876 Active cases: 3, 31,146 Cured/discharged/migrated: 6, 12,815 Total Deaths: 24,915 New cases in last 24 hours: 32,695 Recoveries in last 24 hours: 20,783 Deaths in last 24 hours: 606 Meanwhile, as many as 13,691,674 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19, While more than 8,030,267 have recovered, 586,821 have died so far, according to Worldometer. Country-wise, the United States remains the most affected. It has recorded over 70,000 cases in a day, taking its tally of cases to 3,615,991 and death toll to 140,105. The US is followed by Brazil, which has 1,970,909 cases and 75,523 deaths, and India (970,169 cases, 24,929 deaths).

Covid-19 cases in India rise to 9.6 lakh; nearly 25,000 dead

With some countries battling the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus, and some still struggling with containing the first wave, the number of coronavirus cases seem to be increasing at an alarming stage.

As many as 13,706,323 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19, while more than 8,030,267 have recovered, 586,821 have died so far, according to Worldometer.

Country-wise, the United States remains the most affected. It has recorded over 70,000 cases in a day, taking its tally of cases to 3,615,991 and death toll to 140,105. The US is followed by Brazil, which has 1,970,909 cases and 75,523 deaths, and India (970,169 cases, 24,929 deaths).&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has said that India's pharmaceutical industry will be able to produce COVID-19 vaccines not just for the country but also for the entire world.

A lot of "very important things have been done" in India and its pharma industry is doing work "to help make the coronavirus vaccine building on other great capacities that they have used for other diseases", said the Co-Chair and Trustee of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

With some countries battling the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus, and some still struggling with containing the first wave, the number of coronavirus cases seem to be increasing at an alarming stage. As many as 13,706,323 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19, while more than 8,030,267 have recovered, 586,821 have died so far, according to Worldometer. Country-wise, the United States remains the most affected. It has recorded over 70,000 cases in a day, taking its tally of cases to 3,615,991 and death toll to 140,105. The US is followed by Brazil, which has 1,970,909 cases and 75,523 deaths, and India (970,169 cases, 24,929 deaths). Meanwhile, Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has said that India's pharmaceutical industry will be able to produce COVID-19 vaccines not just for the country but also for the entire world. A lot of "very important things have been done" in India and its pharma industry is doing work "to help make the coronavirus vaccine building on other great capacities that they have used for other diseases", said the Co-Chair and Trustee of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. (With inputs from agencies)

Coronavirus: Global tally rises to 13.7 million

India's pharmaceutical industry will be able to produce COVID-19 vaccines not just for the country but also for the entire world, according to Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates.

A lot of "very important things have been done" in India and its pharma industry is doing work "to help make the coronavirus vaccine building on other great capacities that they have used for other diseases", said the Co-Chair and Trustee of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Speaking in a documentary - COVID-19: India's War against the Virus - to be premiered on Discovery Plus this (Thursday) evening, Bill Gates said India also faces a huge challenge due to the health crisis because of its gigantic size and urban centres with a lot of population density.

Commenting on the strength of India's pharma industry, he said, "India has a lot of capacity there - with the drug and vaccine companies that are huge suppliers to the entire world. You know, more vaccines are made in India than anywhere - starting with Serum Institute, that's the largest."

He further said, "But (there are) also Bio E, Bharat (Biotech), many others. They are doing work to help make the coronavirus vaccine, building on other great capacities that they have used for other diseases."

Stating that India joined Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which is a group working on a global basis to build vaccines platforms, Mr Gates said, "I am excited that the pharmaceutical industry there will be able to produce not just for India but also for the entire world. (This is) What we need to reduce the deaths and make sure we are immune, which is how we end the epidemic."

Mr Gates said Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is also a "partner with the government, particularly with the department of biotechnology, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the office of the principal scientific advisor provide advice and help about getting these tools going."

Commenting on the deadly virus breaching India''s borders in the documentary which was shot extensively during the period of lockdown, he said, "India is still at the beginning of this, but there's a lot of very important things have been done.

"It's a huge challenge with India because you've got a gigantic country. You've got your urban centers with a lot of density - and so that - drives the spread. You have people moving around."

He, however, added: "Yet people are stepping up... Looking at how we reduce the spread while trying not to reduce food availability, equipment that people need."

Highlighting Gates foundation's role, he said it has "worked for the Indian government on health issues like introducing new vaccines over the last decade; and so when COVID-19 came along, we stepped in and said you know where are the gaps, we have been funding work on detection and isolation."

"We have been particularly active in UP and Bihar where we have done health delivery in the past."

The foundation is also working with the department of personnel and training to take their online training platforms and "are now using that guidance to help their frontline health workers", Bill Gates said. 
&nbsp;

India's pharmaceutical industry will be able to produce COVID-19 vaccines not just for the country but also for the entire world, according to Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates.

India's pharmaceutical industry will be able to produce COVID-19 vaccines not just for the country but also for the entire world, according to Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates. A lot of "very important things have been done" in India and its pharma industry is doing work "to help make the coronavirus vaccine building on other great capacities that they have used for other diseases", said the Co-Chair and Trustee of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Speaking in a documentary - COVID-19: India's War against the Virus - to be premiered on Discovery Plus this (Thursday) evening, Bill Gates said India also faces a huge challenge due to the health crisis because of its gigantic size and urban centres with a lot of population density. Commenting on the strength of India's pharma industry, he said, "India has a lot of capacity there - with the drug and vaccine companies that are huge suppliers to the entire world. You know, more vaccines are made in India than anywhere - starting with Serum Institute, that's the largest." He further said, "But (there are) also Bio E, Bharat (Biotech), many others. They are doing work to help make the coronavirus vaccine, building on other great capacities that they have used for other diseases." Stating that India joined Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which is a group working on a global basis to build vaccines platforms, Mr Gates said, "I am excited that the pharmaceutical industry there will be able to produce not just for India but also for the entire world. (This is) What we need to reduce the deaths and make sure we are immune, which is how we end the epidemic." Mr Gates said Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is also a "partner with the government, particularly with the department of biotechnology, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the office of the principal scientific advisor provide advice and help about getting these tools going." Commenting on the deadly virus breaching India''s borders in the documentary which was shot extensively during the period of lockdown, he said, "India is still at the beginning of this, but there's a lot of very important things have been done. "It's a huge challenge with India because you've got a gigantic country. You've got your urban centers with a lot of density - and so that - drives the spread. You have people moving around." He, however, added: "Yet people are stepping up... Looking at how we reduce the spread while trying not to reduce food availability, equipment that people need." Highlighting Gates foundation's role, he said it has "worked for the Indian government on health issues like introducing new vaccines over the last decade; and so when COVID-19 came along, we stepped in and said you know where are the gaps, we have been funding work on detection and isolation." "We have been particularly active in UP and Bihar where we have done health delivery in the past." The foundation is also working with the department of personnel and training to take their online training platforms and "are now using that guidance to help their frontline health workers", Bill Gates said.

India capable of producing Covid-19 vaccines for entire world: Bill Gates

India has recorded nearly 29,428 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total number of Covid-19 cases to 937,487. With over 550 deaths on Tuesday, the country's death toll has now reached 24,315. &nbsp;

In the wake of the increasing number of coronavirus cases, a total lockdown is to be imposed in Bihar from 16 to 31 July.

Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Gujarat have reported the highest number of cases.

However, India’s recovery rate among COVID-19 patients has increased to 63.2 per cent. The recoveries/deaths ratio is 96.05 per cent: 3.9 per cent now.

A total of 13,462,460 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19 so far. While more than 7,846,427 have recovered, 581,316 have died, according to Worldometer.

Country-wise, the United States remains the most affected. It recorded over 65,000 cases in a day to take its total to 3,545,077 coronavirus cases; its death toll stands at 139,143. The US is followed by Brazil, which has 1,931,204 cases and 74,262 deaths and India (937,487 cases, 24,315 deaths).

(With inputs from agencies)

India has recorded nearly 29,428 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total number of Covid-19 cases to 937,487. With over 550 deaths on Tuesday, the country's death toll has now reached 24,315.

India has recorded nearly 29,428 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total number of Covid-19 cases to 937,487. With over 550 deaths on Tuesday, the country's death toll has now reached 24,315. In the wake of the increasing number of coronavirus cases, a total lockdown is to be imposed in Bihar from 16 to 31 July. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Gujarat have reported the highest number of cases. However, India’s recovery rate among COVID-19 patients has increased to 63.2 per cent. The recoveries/deaths ratio is 96.05 per cent: 3.9 per cent now. A total of 13,462,460 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19 so far. While more than 7,846,427 have recovered, 581,316 have died, according to Worldometer. Country-wise, the United States remains the most affected. It recorded over 65,000 cases in a day to take its total to 3,545,077 coronavirus cases; its death toll stands at 139,143. The US is followed by Brazil, which has 1,931,204 cases and 74,262 deaths and India (937,487 cases, 24,315 deaths). (With inputs from agencies)

Covid-19 cases in India rise to 9.3 lakh, death toll at 24,309

Indian Railways has developed post-Covid train coaches to fight coronavirus with several special features in new coaches, which including foot-operated soap dispensers and toilet flushes, new door handles and handrails coated with anti-microbial copper.

"The Coach has been designed by Rail Coach Factory at Kapurthala to prevent the spread of Covid 19. The Ministry said, Railways has taken numerous steps and measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus infection," the Railways Ministry said.

According to the Ministry, "this Coach has the provision of plasma air equipment in the air conditioning duct. This equipment will sterilize the air and surfaces inside the AC coach using ionised air to make the coach Covid-19 and particulate matter resistant." 
 
This Post Covid Coach has design improvements in the coach like handsfree amenities, copper-coated handrails &amp; latches, plasma air purification and titanium di-oxide coating for Covid free passenger journey, the Railways added.

"Future Ready Railway: Designed to fight Coronavirus, Railways creates 1st Post Covid Coach' with handsfree amenities, copper-coated handrails &amp; latches, plasma air purification, Titanium di-oxide coating.

"For Covid-Free passenger journey!," Railway Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Future Ready Railway: Designed to fight Coronavirus, Railways creates 1st ‘Post COVID Coach’ with: 
 
▪️Handsfree amenities 
▪️Copper-coated handrails &amp; latches 
▪️Plasma air purification 
▪️Titanium di-oxide coating 
 
For COVID-Free passenger journey! 
 
Details: <a href="https://t.co/VAVDu6lDST">https://t.co/VAVDu6lDST</a> <a href="https://t.co/yWakrxt4s2">pic.twitter.com/yWakrxt4s2</a>
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/PiyushGoyal/status/1282921165678231552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Indian Railways has developed post-Covid train coaches to fight coronavirus with several special features in new coaches, which including foot-operated soap dispensers and toilet flushes, new door handles and handrails coated with anti-microbial copper.

Indian Railways has developed post-Covid train coaches to fight coronavirus with several special features in new coaches, which including foot-operated soap dispensers and toilet flushes, new door handles and handrails coated with anti-microbial copper. "The Coach has been designed by Rail Coach Factory at Kapurthala to prevent the spread of Covid 19. The Ministry said, Railways has taken numerous steps and measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus infection," the Railways Ministry said. According to the Ministry, "this Coach has the provision of plasma air equipment in the air conditioning duct. This equipment will sterilize the air and surfaces inside the AC coach using ionised air to make the coach Covid-19 and particulate matter resistant." This Post Covid Coach has design improvements in the coach like handsfree amenities, copper-coated handrails & latches, plasma air purification and titanium di-oxide coating for Covid free passenger journey, the Railways added. "Future Ready Railway: Designed to fight Coronavirus, Railways creates 1st Post Covid Coach' with handsfree amenities, copper-coated handrails & latches, plasma air purification, Titanium di-oxide coating. "For Covid-Free passenger journey!," Railway Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted. Future Ready Railway: Designed to fight Coronavirus, Railways creates 1st ‘Post COVID Coach’ with: ▪️Handsfree amenities ▪️Copper-coated handrails & latches ▪️Plasma air purification ▪️Titanium di-oxide coating For COVID-Free passenger journey! Details: https://t.co/VAVDu6lDST pic.twitter.com/yWakrxt4s2 — Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) July 14, 2020 ×

Handsfree amenities, plasma air purification: Indian Railways develops the post-Covid coach

France will soon announce an "exceptional package" for India, including ventilators and expertise, as part of its efforts to jointly combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the French envoy to India said on Tuesday.

In his message on the French National Day -- Bastille Day, French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain said that since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, the two countries have shown exceptional solidarity.

"India has provided much needed equipment and drugs to French hospitals. Friendship is a two-way road and France has reciprocated," Lenain said.

The French development agency AFD has granted an exceptional loan of 200 million euros (Rs 1,600 crore) to provide social services to the most vulnerable population in India, he said.

"We are going to announce soon an exceptional package comprising serological test (kits), ventilators and some expertise," the French envoy said in the message posted on all social media handles of the French Embassy here.

Solidarity has been exceptional in the way the India government has lent support to the operation to repatriate stranded tourists, he said, thanking Indian authorities for it.

Another great way to express solidarity is the involvement of French companies in corporate social responsibility, he said.

Lenain cited the example of French firms partnering Indian companies for producing ventilators and a French firm contributing 65 ICU beds.

France will soon announce an "exceptional package" for India, including ventilators and expertise, as part of its efforts to jointly combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the French envoy to India said on Tuesday.

France will soon announce an "exceptional package" for India, including ventilators and expertise, as part of its efforts to jointly combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the French envoy to India said on Tuesday. In his message on the French National Day -- Bastille Day, French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain said that since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, the two countries have shown exceptional solidarity. "India has provided much needed equipment and drugs to French hospitals. Friendship is a two-way road and France has reciprocated," Lenain said. The French development agency AFD has granted an exceptional loan of 200 million euros (Rs 1,600 crore) to provide social services to the most vulnerable population in India, he said. "We are going to announce soon an exceptional package comprising serological test (kits), ventilators and some expertise," the French envoy said in the message posted on all social media handles of the French Embassy here. Solidarity has been exceptional in the way the India government has lent support to the operation to repatriate stranded tourists, he said, thanking Indian authorities for it. Another great way to express solidarity is the involvement of French companies in corporate social responsibility, he said. Lenain cited the example of French firms partnering Indian companies for producing ventilators and a French firm contributing 65 ICU beds.

France to announce 'exceptional package' boosting India's COVID-19 fight, says Envoy

Delhi got its second plasma bank on Tuesday, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurating the facility at the state-run Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital for treatment of COVID-19 patients.

The chief minister had inaugurated the first such facility at the state-run Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences on July 2.

"Plasma therapy is really helpful in saving lives. We cannot say it is 100 percent successful... but the death rate has reduced in Delhi and plasma has a role in it," the chief minister said at the launch.

The LNJP Hospital is located in central Delhi, so it is easily accessible to those willing to donate plasma, he said.

COVID-19 patients can donate their plasma 14 days after recovery.

Such people should be aged between 18 and 60 and weigh not less than 50 kg.

Women who have been pregnant at some time in their life, people with diabetes, hypertension, cancer survivors, those with chronic heart, liver, lung and kidney diseases and high blood pressure cannot donate plasma.&nbsp;

Delhi got its second plasma bank on Tuesday, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurating the facility at the state-run Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital for treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Delhi got its second plasma bank on Tuesday, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurating the facility at the state-run Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital for treatment of COVID-19 patients. The chief minister had inaugurated the first such facility at the state-run Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences on July 2. "Plasma therapy is really helpful in saving lives. We cannot say it is 100 percent successful... but the death rate has reduced in Delhi and plasma has a role in it," the chief minister said at the launch. The LNJP Hospital is located in central Delhi, so it is easily accessible to those willing to donate plasma, he said. COVID-19 patients can donate their plasma 14 days after recovery. Such people should be aged between 18 and 60 and weigh not less than 50 kg. Women who have been pregnant at some time in their life, people with diabetes, hypertension, cancer survivors, those with chronic heart, liver, lung and kidney diseases and high blood pressure cannot donate plasma.

Covid-19 treatment: Delhi gets second plasma bank at LNJP hospital

In a major development capable of helping in drug formulations for COVID-19, the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) here has successfully established in vitro cultures of coronavirus from the patient samples using Vero cells.

Seventeen virus cultures have been established from swab samples originating from different locations of the country with varying virus loads by the ILS, an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology, officials said.

The Vero cell culture technology is used worldwide to develop inactivated whole cell-based vaccines.

"It is a significant development as only three other laboratories from India has reported establishing virus cultures till date," ILS Director Ajay Parida said.

This has potential application in testing and screening for possible drug targets, formulations as well as possible use in vaccine development.

Cultured SARS-CoV-2 can also be used in developing antibodies or antidotes, testing of antibodies and identification of effective therapeutic agents, he said.

Parida expressed confidence that this will be a useful resource for the country in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic as well as for future preparedness.

In the long run these viral cultures will be useful for academicians as well as industry for testing and validating various antiviral products contributing to diagnostic, cure and management of COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

These virus cultures have been established by the ILS team led by scientists Soma Chattopadhyay and Gulam H Syed following international protocols and all safety precautions in the BSL 3 facility, an official said.

Virus cultures have been stabilised with multiple passages in vero cell culture and titres in culture supernatants of 7-9 passage were estimated by Foci-Forming Unit (FFU) assay.

Infection of the Vero cells with SARS-CoV2 clinical isolate was also confirmed by immunofluorescence detection of SARS-CoV2 infection.

Studies using genome sequencing approaches are underway for understanding stability and detecting any mutation in established cultures.

Vitro culture involves studies conducted with microorganisms, cells outside their usual surroundings.

Vero cells are host cells for growing virus.

ILS has been supporting the Odisha government in augmenting testing for COVID-19 since April this year and has tested around 45,000 samples from as many as 26 districts of the state.

The institute has been selected as one of the 16 in the country for setting up a biorespository of clinical samples for furthering research and development efforts for COVID-19.

Apart from ILS, there other institutes - NIV, Pune, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad and RMRC, Dibrugarh have reported establishing virus cultures. 
&nbsp;

In a major development capable of helping in drug formulations for COVID-19, the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) here has successfully established in vitro cultures of coronavirus from the patient samples using Vero cells.

In a major development capable of helping in drug formulations for COVID-19, the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) here has successfully established in vitro cultures of coronavirus from the patient samples using Vero cells. Seventeen virus cultures have been established from swab samples originating from different locations of the country with varying virus loads by the ILS, an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology, officials said. The Vero cell culture technology is used worldwide to develop inactivated whole cell-based vaccines. "It is a significant development as only three other laboratories from India has reported establishing virus cultures till date," ILS Director Ajay Parida said. This has potential application in testing and screening for possible drug targets, formulations as well as possible use in vaccine development. Cultured SARS-CoV-2 can also be used in developing antibodies or antidotes, testing of antibodies and identification of effective therapeutic agents, he said. Parida expressed confidence that this will be a useful resource for the country in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic as well as for future preparedness. In the long run these viral cultures will be useful for academicians as well as industry for testing and validating various antiviral products contributing to diagnostic, cure and management of COVID-19 pandemic, he said. These virus cultures have been established by the ILS team led by scientists Soma Chattopadhyay and Gulam H Syed following international protocols and all safety precautions in the BSL 3 facility, an official said. Virus cultures have been stabilised with multiple passages in vero cell culture and titres in culture supernatants of 7-9 passage were estimated by Foci-Forming Unit (FFU) assay. Infection of the Vero cells with SARS-CoV2 clinical isolate was also confirmed by immunofluorescence detection of SARS-CoV2 infection. Studies using genome sequencing approaches are underway for understanding stability and detecting any mutation in established cultures. Vitro culture involves studies conducted with microorganisms, cells outside their usual surroundings. Vero cells are host cells for growing virus. ILS has been supporting the Odisha government in augmenting testing for COVID-19 since April this year and has tested around 45,000 samples from as many as 26 districts of the state. The institute has been selected as one of the 16 in the country for setting up a biorespository of clinical samples for furthering research and development efforts for COVID-19. Apart from ILS, there other institutes - NIV, Pune, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad and RMRC, Dibrugarh have reported establishing virus cultures.

Odisha-based Institute of Life Sciences establishes stable cultures of coronavirus

India recorded its highest single-day spike of 28,701 new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and 500 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the total tally to close to 9 lakh with a total of 23,174 deaths, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Monday.

There are 3, 01,609 active coronavirus cases in the country.

India’s recovery rate rose above 63 per cent with as many as 18, 850 cases recovered from the COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. The total recoveries now stand at 5, 53,470. The gap between recoveries and active cases is now more than 2.5 lakh.

Meanwhile, India's financial capital Mumbai and its metropolitan region's coronavirus tally was recorded at over 1.73 lakh with almost 4,500 new cases. 
 
Overall, five states with the biggest 24-hour jump in total cases are Maharashtra (8,139), Tamil Nadu (3,965), Karnataka (2,798), Andhra Pradesh (1,813) and Delhi (1,781). Among states with more than 5,000 cases, the five with worst recovery rates at present are Karnataka (40.63%), Andhra Pradesh (52.85%), Kerala (53.28%), Maharashtra (55.55%), and Jammu &amp; Kashmir (58.04%). 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

India recorded its highest single-day spike of 28,701 new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and 500 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the total tally to close to 9 lakh with a total of 23,174 deaths, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Monday.

India recorded its highest single-day spike of 28,701 new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and 500 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the total tally to close to 9 lakh with a total of 23,174 deaths, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Monday. There are 3, 01,609 active coronavirus cases in the country. India’s recovery rate rose above 63 per cent with as many as 18, 850 cases recovered from the COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. The total recoveries now stand at 5, 53,470. The gap between recoveries and active cases is now more than 2.5 lakh. Meanwhile, India's financial capital Mumbai and its metropolitan region's coronavirus tally was recorded at over 1.73 lakh with almost 4,500 new cases. Overall, five states with the biggest 24-hour jump in total cases are Maharashtra (8,139), Tamil Nadu (3,965), Karnataka (2,798), Andhra Pradesh (1,813) and Delhi (1,781). Among states with more than 5,000 cases, the five with worst recovery rates at present are Karnataka (40.63%), Andhra Pradesh (52.85%), Kerala (53.28%), Maharashtra (55.55%), and Jammu & Kashmir (58.04%). (With inputs from agencies)

India sees highest single-day spike of 28,701 Covid-19 cases, coronavirus tally inches closer to 9 lakh

A total of 2, 19,103 samples have been tested in the country for coronavirus in the last 24 hours, announced the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Monday.

Now, the total number of tests in India have reached 1, 18,06,265. Meanwhile, ICMR is continuously scaling up its testing facilities for COVID-19 by approving government and private laboratories.

India recorded its highest single-day spike of 28,701 new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and 500 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the total tally to close to 9 lakh with a total of 23,174 deaths, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

There are 3, 01,609 active coronavirus cases in the country.

India’s recovery rate rose above 63 per cent with as many as 18, 850 cases recovered from the COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. The total recoveries now stand at 5, 53,470. The gap between recoveries and active cases is now more than 2.5 lakh.

As many as 13,041,728 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 around the world so far. While more than 7,320,900 have recovered, 562,011 have died, according to Worldometer.

Country-wise, the United States remains the most affected. It has recorded over 50,000 cases in a day and now has 3,413,936 coronavirus cases and 137,782 deaths. Brazil has 1,866,176 cases, and 70,524 deaths, while India is the third-worst-hit with 879,466 cases and 22,144 deaths. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

A total of 2, 19,103 samples have been tested in the country for coronavirus in the last 24 hours, announced the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Monday.

A total of 2, 19,103 samples have been tested in the country for coronavirus in the last 24 hours, announced the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Monday. Now, the total number of tests in India have reached 1, 18,06,265. Meanwhile, ICMR is continuously scaling up its testing facilities for COVID-19 by approving government and private laboratories. India recorded its highest single-day spike of 28,701 new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and 500 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the total tally to close to 9 lakh with a total of 23,174 deaths, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. There are 3, 01,609 active coronavirus cases in the country. India’s recovery rate rose above 63 per cent with as many as 18, 850 cases recovered from the COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. The total recoveries now stand at 5, 53,470. The gap between recoveries and active cases is now more than 2.5 lakh. As many as 13,041,728 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 around the world so far. While more than 7,320,900 have recovered, 562,011 have died, according to Worldometer. Country-wise, the United States remains the most affected. It has recorded over 50,000 cases in a day and now has 3,413,936 coronavirus cases and 137,782 deaths. Brazil has 1,866,176 cases, and 70,524 deaths, while India is the third-worst-hit with 879,466 cases and 22,144 deaths. (With inputs from agencies)

Over 11 million samples tested for Covid-19 so far, says ICMR

A record single-day jump of 24879 COVID-19 cases took India’s tally to 7, 67,296 on Wednesday, while the death toll climbed to 21,129 with 487 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The recoveries, however, have also increased to 4, 76,378. The total recovery rate of the nation now stands at 62%. 
 
According to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 2, 67,061 tests were conducted on Wednesday.

India’s doubling time for total cases has increased to 22.3 days, and that for active cases to 33.7 days. Doubling time for deaths, meanwhile, stands at 29.3 days.

Maharashtra continues to be the worst affected state by the Covid-19 virus. The total number of cases reported in the state has reached 2, 23,724. The death tally has gone up to 9,448. Total 91.084 cases are still active.

Five states with the biggest 24-hour jump in total cases are Maharashtra (5,134), Tamil Nadu (3,616), Delhi (2,008), Telangana (1,879), and Karnataka (1,498).

(With inputs from agencies)

A record single-day jump of 24879 COVID-19 cases took India’s tally to 7, 67,296 on Wednesday, while the death toll climbed to 21,129 with 487 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

A record single-day jump of 24879 COVID-19 cases took India’s tally to 7, 67,296 on Wednesday, while the death toll climbed to 21,129 with 487 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The recoveries, however, have also increased to 4, 76,378. The total recovery rate of the nation now stands at 62%. According to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 2, 67,061 tests were conducted on Wednesday. India’s doubling time for total cases has increased to 22.3 days, and that for active cases to 33.7 days. Doubling time for deaths, meanwhile, stands at 29.3 days. Maharashtra continues to be the worst affected state by the Covid-19 virus. The total number of cases reported in the state has reached 2, 23,724. The death tally has gone up to 9,448. Total 91.084 cases are still active. Five states with the biggest 24-hour jump in total cases are Maharashtra (5,134), Tamil Nadu (3,616), Delhi (2,008), Telangana (1,879), and Karnataka (1,498). (With inputs from agencies)

India reports the highest single-day spike of over 24000 cases

Maharashtra continues to remain the worst-affected in terms of Covid tally in the country. The state reported 6,603 fresh cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total tally to 2, 23,724.

The state also reported 198 new deaths, taking the death toll to 9,448. The mortality rate now stands at 4.22 per cent. Maharashtra continues to lead in the number of deaths followed by Delhi.

Meanwhile, India saw a record single-day surge of 24,879 COVID-19 cases taking the caseload to 7, 67,296 on Thursday, with Maharashtra, TN, Karnataka, Delhi, Telangana, UP, and AP contributing to around 75 per cent of the new cases, Union Health Ministry data says.

Five states with the biggest 24-hour jump in total cases are Maharashtra (5,134), Tamil Nadu (3,616), Delhi (2,008), Telangana (1,879), and Karnataka (1,498). 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Maharashtra continues to remain the worst-affected in terms of Covid tally in the country. The state reported 6,603 fresh cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total tally to 2, 23,724.

Maharashtra continues to remain the worst-affected in terms of Covid tally in the country. The state reported 6,603 fresh cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total tally to 2, 23,724. The state also reported 198 new deaths, taking the death toll to 9,448. The mortality rate now stands at 4.22 per cent. Maharashtra continues to lead in the number of deaths followed by Delhi. Meanwhile, India saw a record single-day surge of 24,879 COVID-19 cases taking the caseload to 7, 67,296 on Thursday, with Maharashtra, TN, Karnataka, Delhi, Telangana, UP, and AP contributing to around 75 per cent of the new cases, Union Health Ministry data says. Five states with the biggest 24-hour jump in total cases are Maharashtra (5,134), Tamil Nadu (3,616), Delhi (2,008), Telangana (1,879), and Karnataka (1,498). (With inputs from agencies)

Maharashtra records 6,603 fresh cases, total at 2.23 lakh

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sought a detailed analytical report from the Delhi government's health secretary on factors responsible for COVID-19 deaths in the city in the last fortnight, officials said.

Delhi reported 736 deaths in the last two weeks, with 397 people succumbing to the disease in the first week of July.

Meanwhile, India has recorded 22,752 new COVID-19 cases and 482 deaths in the last 24 hours.&nbsp;

Positive cases stand at 7, 42,417 including 2, 64,944 active cases, 4, 56,831 cured/discharged/migrated and 20,642 deaths, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The rate of both new virus infections and deaths are rising at the fastest pace in three months, as officials lift a vast lockdown of India's 1.3 billion people.

India on Monday overtook Russia as the third most affected country globally, behind the United States and Brazil.

So far, 11,950,105 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19. While 6,849,076 have recovered, 546,626 have died till now, according to Worldometer.

Country-wise, the United States remains the most affected with 3,097,084 coronavirus cases and 133,972 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,674,655 cases, 66,868 deaths) and India (744,006 cases, 20,174 deaths).

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sought a detailed analytical report from the Delhi government's health secretary on factors responsible for COVID-19 deaths in the city in the last fortnight, officials said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sought a detailed analytical report from the Delhi government's health secretary on factors responsible for COVID-19 deaths in the city in the last fortnight, officials said. Delhi reported 736 deaths in the last two weeks, with 397 people succumbing to the disease in the first week of July. Meanwhile, India has recorded 22,752 new COVID-19 cases and 482 deaths in the last 24 hours. Positive cases stand at 7, 42,417 including 2, 64,944 active cases, 4, 56,831 cured/discharged/migrated and 20,642 deaths, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The rate of both new virus infections and deaths are rising at the fastest pace in three months, as officials lift a vast lockdown of India's 1.3 billion people. India on Monday overtook Russia as the third most affected country globally, behind the United States and Brazil. So far, 11,950,105 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19. While 6,849,076 have recovered, 546,626 have died till now, according to Worldometer. Country-wise, the United States remains the most affected with 3,097,084 coronavirus cases and 133,972 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,674,655 cases, 66,868 deaths) and India (744,006 cases, 20,174 deaths).

Arvind Kejriwal government launches probe on virus deaths in Delhi

The commercial capital of India Mumbai recorded the lowest single-day figure in nearly two months as the number of cases came down to 806, taking the tally to 86,132.&nbsp;With 64 more deaths in the city, the toll has now crossed the 5,000 mark.&nbsp;

In Asia's largest slum Dharavi too, only one new case was reported. Dharavi has been the coronavirus cluster for the city.

Maharashtra continues to remain the worst-affected state in the country, reporting 5,134 fresh cases and 224 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 2, 17,121 including 9,250 deaths.

Meanwhile, India has recorded 22,752 new COVID-19 cases and 482 deaths in the last 24 hours.&nbsp;

Positive cases stand at 7, 42,417 including 2, 64,944 active cases, 4, 56,831 cured/discharged/migrated and 20,642 deaths, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The rate of both new virus infections and deaths are rising at the fastest pace in three months, as officials lift a vast lockdown of India's 1.3 billion people.

India on Monday overtook Russia as the third most affected country globally, behind the United States and Brazil.

So far, 11,950,105 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19. While 6,849,076 have recovered, 546,626 have died till now, according to Worldometer.

Country-wise, the United States remains the most affected with 3,097,084 coronavirus cases and 133,972 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,674,655 cases, 66,868 deaths) and India (744,006 cases, 20,174 deaths).

The commercial capital of India Mumbai recorded the lowest single-day figure in nearly two months as the number of cases came down to 806, taking the tally to 86,132.

The commercial capital of India Mumbai recorded the lowest single-day figure in nearly two months as the number of cases came down to 806, taking the tally to 86,132. With 64 more deaths in the city, the toll has now crossed the 5,000 mark. In Asia's largest slum Dharavi too, only one new case was reported. Dharavi has been the coronavirus cluster for the city. Maharashtra continues to remain the worst-affected state in the country, reporting 5,134 fresh cases and 224 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 2, 17,121 including 9,250 deaths. Meanwhile, India has recorded 22,752 new COVID-19 cases and 482 deaths in the last 24 hours. Positive cases stand at 7, 42,417 including 2, 64,944 active cases, 4, 56,831 cured/discharged/migrated and 20,642 deaths, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The rate of both new virus infections and deaths are rising at the fastest pace in three months, as officials lift a vast lockdown of India's 1.3 billion people. India on Monday overtook Russia as the third most affected country globally, behind the United States and Brazil. So far, 11,950,105 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19. While 6,849,076 have recovered, 546,626 have died till now, according to Worldometer. Country-wise, the United States remains the most affected with 3,097,084 coronavirus cases and 133,972 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,674,655 cases, 66,868 deaths) and India (744,006 cases, 20,174 deaths).

Mumbai records lowest single-day spike, toll crosses 5,000

As many as 872 employees of the Central Railway and Western Railway, their family members and retired personnel have so far tested positive for coronavirus and 86 of them have died, officials said.

All of them were admitted to the Western Railways Jagjivan Ram Hospital here which was in April declared as a facility to treat COVID-19 patients, they said.

Of the total cases, 559 were reported from the Central Railway and 313 from the Western Railway, officials said.

Out of the 86 patients who died of COVID-19, 22 were existing railway employees (14 of the Central Railway and eight of the Western Railway) and the others included their family members and retired personnel.

As of now, 132 railway employees, besides their family members and retired personnel, are undergoing treatment at the hospital, officials said.

Currently, some special trains, goods trains and 700 local train services with limited number of passengers are being operated here by both the Central Railway and Western Railway.

Some railway unions claimed that since the resumption of local train services from June 15, there has been a rise in COVID-19 cases among railway employees.

"The state government allowed only 15 to 30 per cent attendance in offices, but in the railways nearly 100 per cent field staff personnel are working since the resumption of suburban train services, National RailwayMazdoor Union president Venu Nair said.

The zonal railways, however, said there is no connection between the rise in COVID-19 cases and resumption of services.

Central Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer Shivaji Sutar said they are taking utmost care to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among railway personnel and passengers.

"We are taking every possible step for the safety of railway employees and passengers and ensuring social distancing. We are providing masks, sanitisers and all other safety equipment to our employees," he said.

After the outbreak of COVID-19, the Central Railway launched a 'Rail Parivar Dekhrekh' drive to ensure the safety of the railway employees, he added.

The Western Railway's Mumbai division DRM did not respond to queries on this.

As many as 872 employees of the Central Railway and Western Railway, their family members and retired personnel have so far tested positive for coronavirus and 86 of them have died, officials said.

As many as 872 employees of the Central Railway and Western Railway, their family members and retired personnel have so far tested positive for coronavirus and 86 of them have died, officials said. All of them were admitted to the Western Railways Jagjivan Ram Hospital here which was in April declared as a facility to treat COVID-19 patients, they said. Of the total cases, 559 were reported from the Central Railway and 313 from the Western Railway, officials said. Out of the 86 patients who died of COVID-19, 22 were existing railway employees (14 of the Central Railway and eight of the Western Railway) and the others included their family members and retired personnel. As of now, 132 railway employees, besides their family members and retired personnel, are undergoing treatment at the hospital, officials said. Currently, some special trains, goods trains and 700 local train services with limited number of passengers are being operated here by both the Central Railway and Western Railway. Some railway unions claimed that since the resumption of local train services from June 15, there has been a rise in COVID-19 cases among railway employees. "The state government allowed only 15 to 30 per cent attendance in offices, but in the railways nearly 100 per cent field staff personnel are working since the resumption of suburban train services, National RailwayMazdoor Union president Venu Nair said. The zonal railways, however, said there is no connection between the rise in COVID-19 cases and resumption of services. Central Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer Shivaji Sutar said they are taking utmost care to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among railway personnel and passengers. "We are taking every possible step for the safety of railway employees and passengers and ensuring social distancing. We are providing masks, sanitisers and all other safety equipment to our employees," he said. After the outbreak of COVID-19, the Central Railway launched a 'Rail Parivar Dekhrekh' drive to ensure the safety of the railway employees, he added. The Western Railway's Mumbai division DRM did not respond to queries on this.

872 railway employees, kin, ex-staffers test coronavirus positive

Nearly 11 million stressed-out Chinese students take the country's gruelling annual college entrance exam beginning Tuesday following a month-long coronavirus delay, with inspectors this year checking both for cheaters and fevers.

The two-day test — known in Chinese as the "gaokao" — is always a moment of great anxiety for students and parents who dream of sending their children to university, but the coronavirus added another layer of pressure by closing schools for months.

More than 7,000 exam sites have been set up across China, with nearly one million invigilators or other workers to watch over the students, according to state media.

Officials will not just be looking for cheaters. They will be watching if students have fevers or coughs.

Test-takers who show symptoms will be taken to an isolation room with disinfectant, according to the official Xinhua news agency. The students and invigilators had to track their health during the 14 days prior to the exam. Students from high-risk areas have to wear masks during the tests.

Zhao Kexin, who is taking the exam in Beijing, had to report her temperature to her school every day prior to the exam. "Though there are enough measures to protect us from contracting the virus, I am still feeling a bit nervous about gathering in a public area, but I have to take the test," Zhao said.

A new outbreak in Beijing last month raised fears of a second wave but authorities appear to have brought it under control after locking down dozens of residential areas in the capital.

Getting a high score remains the sole way for many students to get into top universities in China, placing heavy pressure on young students. "The stress not only comes from students' fear of underperforming on the test but also comes from family and society," said Ye Minjie, a committee member of the Chinese Psychiatrist Association. "The narrative that gaokao is the battlefield of one's life prevails sometimes, making students nervous...This year is quite different. The pandemic has intensified the pressure students suffer as millions of them have been confined to home for a very long time before coming back to normal studying."

Nearly 11 million stressed-out Chinese students take the country's gruelling annual college entrance exam beginning Tuesday following a month-long coronavirus delay, with inspectors this year checking both for cheaters and fevers.

Nearly 11 million stressed-out Chinese students take the country's gruelling annual college entrance exam beginning Tuesday following a month-long coronavirus delay, with inspectors this year checking both for cheaters and fevers. The two-day test — known in Chinese as the "gaokao" — is always a moment of great anxiety for students and parents who dream of sending their children to university, but the coronavirus added another layer of pressure by closing schools for months. More than 7,000 exam sites have been set up across China, with nearly one million invigilators or other workers to watch over the students, according to state media. Officials will not just be looking for cheaters. They will be watching if students have fevers or coughs. Test-takers who show symptoms will be taken to an isolation room with disinfectant, according to the official Xinhua news agency. The students and invigilators had to track their health during the 14 days prior to the exam. Students from high-risk areas have to wear masks during the tests. Zhao Kexin, who is taking the exam in Beijing, had to report her temperature to her school every day prior to the exam. "Though there are enough measures to protect us from contracting the virus, I am still feeling a bit nervous about gathering in a public area, but I have to take the test," Zhao said. A new outbreak in Beijing last month raised fears of a second wave but authorities appear to have brought it under control after locking down dozens of residential areas in the capital. Getting a high score remains the sole way for many students to get into top universities in China, placing heavy pressure on young students. "The stress not only comes from students' fear of underperforming on the test but also comes from family and society," said Ye Minjie, a committee member of the Chinese Psychiatrist Association. "The narrative that gaokao is the battlefield of one's life prevails sometimes, making students nervous...This year is quite different. The pandemic has intensified the pressure students suffer as millions of them have been confined to home for a very long time before coming back to normal studying."

Nearly 11 million Chinese students take college exam after virus delay

The Union health ministry on Tuesday reported there were 22,252 new cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and 467 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the overall tally to 7, 19,665.

 
"Total positive cases stand at 7, 19,665 including 2, 59,557 active cases, 4, 39,948 cured/discharged/migrated 20,160 deaths," said the Union health ministry.

India had on Sunday overtaken Russia to become the third-most affected country globally in terms of the numbers of Covid-19 cases. More than 11 million infections and 536,776 deaths have been reported worldwide, data from Worldometers shows.

The Union health ministry on Tuesday reported there were 22,252 new cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and 467 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the overall tally to 7, 19,665.

The Union health ministry on Tuesday reported there were 22,252 new cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and 467 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the overall tally to 7, 19,665. "Total positive cases stand at 7, 19,665 including 2, 59,557 active cases, 4, 39,948 cured/discharged/migrated 20,160 deaths," said the Union health ministry. India had on Sunday overtaken Russia to become the third-most affected country globally in terms of the numbers of Covid-19 cases. More than 11 million infections and 536,776 deaths have been reported worldwide, data from Worldometers shows.

India’s Covid-19 tally surges past 7 lakh, death toll at 20160

The officials of Odisha government on Tuesday announced that the State recorded the biggest single-day spike of COVID19 cases with 571 new cases in the last 24 hours.

Of the 571 new cases, 403 were reported from different quarantine centres while 168 were local contacts, the official said, adding that contact tracing and follow-up actions are underway. 
 
There are 3,557 active cases in the state and 6,486 patients have recovered.

In the last 24 hours, 5,546 COVID-19 samples were tested and a total of 3, 02,780 tests have been conducted in the state so far, the official said.

Odisha will start a serology survey in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Ganjam from Tuesday.

(With inputs from PTI)

The officials of Odisha government on Tuesday announced that the State recorded the biggest single-day spike of COVID19 cases with 571 new cases in the last 24 hours.

The officials of Odisha government on Tuesday announced that the State recorded the biggest single-day spike of COVID19 cases with 571 new cases in the last 24 hours. Of the 571 new cases, 403 were reported from different quarantine centres while 168 were local contacts, the official said, adding that contact tracing and follow-up actions are underway. There are 3,557 active cases in the state and 6,486 patients have recovered. In the last 24 hours, 5,546 COVID-19 samples were tested and a total of 3, 02,780 tests have been conducted in the state so far, the official said. Odisha will start a serology survey in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Ganjam from Tuesday. (With inputs from PTI)

Covid-19: Odisha records biggest single-day spike, state tally crosses 10,000-mark

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