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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&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

Kerala`s state health department on Sunday reported 435 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases in the state to 7,873.

Out of the total figure, 3,743 are active and 4,095 have recovered. So far, 31 COVID-related fatalities have been reported in the state.

According to Kerela`s Health Minister KK Shailaja, out of the 435 positive cases in the last 24 hours, ten healthcare workers were also infected - four in Alappuzha district, two in Thiruvananthapuram district and one each in Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Ernakula, Kasargod districts.

In addition, a DSC employee and a CISF personnel in Kannur district also tested positive.

Meanwhile, the number of tests being conducted has increased.

In the last 24 hours, 13,478 samples were analysed.

Thirty new places were declared hotspots while three were exempted taking the total number of hotspots in the State to 222.&nbsp;

Kerala`s state health department on Sunday reported 435 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases in the state to 7,873. Out of the total figure, 3,743 are active and 4,095 have recovered.

Kerala`s state health department on Sunday reported 435 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases in the state to 7,873. Out of the total figure, 3,743 are active and 4,095 have recovered. So far, 31 COVID-related fatalities have been reported in the state. According to Kerela`s Health Minister KK Shailaja, out of the 435 positive cases in the last 24 hours, ten healthcare workers were also infected - four in Alappuzha district, two in Thiruvananthapuram district and one each in Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Ernakula, Kasargod districts. In addition, a DSC employee and a CISF personnel in Kannur district also tested positive. Meanwhile, the number of tests being conducted has increased. In the last 24 hours, 13,478 samples were analysed. Thirty new places were declared hotspots while three were exempted taking the total number of hotspots in the State to 222.

Kerala reports 435 new infections as total coronavirus cases reach 7,873

Swapna Suresh, a key suspect in the Kerala gold smuggling cases, has been taken in custody by National Investigation Agency in Bengaluru. Her family members have also been taken into custody by NIA, which is probing the case.

Swapna Suresh, a key suspect in the Kerala gold smuggling cases, has been taken in custody by National Investigation Agency in Bengaluru. Her family members have also been taken into custody by NIA, which is probing the case. She will be produced at the NIA office in Kochi on Sunday. The Customs at the Thiruvananthapuram airport seized 30kg of gold, valued nearly Rs.15 crore, in a diplomatic cargo recently. The cardboard carton weighing 79kg had contained foodstuffs and what was said to be “articles other than foodstuffs”. On closer examination and dismantling, it was found that the “articles other than foodstuffs” had gold concealed in them. It is alleged that Swapna Suresh, who had earlier worked with the consulate is the kingpin of this gold smuggling racket. Pictures and videos from several Kerala government functions and banquets also show the woman in close proximity with senior government and opposition leaders and other officials. She is said to be facing a crime branch probe for fabricating a complaint against an Air India Official. (With inputs from ANI)

Kerala gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh taken into custody

Kerala on Saturday recorded&nbsp;its biggest single-day jump of&nbsp;488 new COVID-19 cases, taking the infection tally to 7,438 as the death toll climbed to 29 with two fatalities.

As many as 234 people were infected through contact, including 57 in Thiruvananthapuram, 51 in Alappuzha, Ernakulam 35, Pathnamthitta 29 and Malappuram 27, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters here.

This is the second consecutive day that the number of cases have crossed the 400 mark.

On Friday, 416 people were infected.

The deaths had occurred at Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam districts on Friday. 
Three health workers were among those who tested positive today.

Totally, 2.33 lakh samples have been collected so far and results of 6,449 samples are awaited.

There are 195 hotspots as of today.

In Thiruvananthapuram, a Quick Response Team has been constituted, comprising police, revenue and health workers which will function round the clock in the worst affected Poonthura fishing hamlet, the Chief Minister said.

&nbsp;

Kerala on Saturday recorded its biggest single-day jump of 488 new COVID-19 cases, taking the infection tally to 7,438 as the death toll climbed to 29 with two fatalities.

Kerala on Saturday recorded its biggest single-day jump of 488 new COVID-19 cases, taking the infection tally to 7,438 as the death toll climbed to 29 with two fatalities. As many as 234 people were infected through contact, including 57 in Thiruvananthapuram, 51 in Alappuzha, Ernakulam 35, Pathnamthitta 29 and Malappuram 27, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters here. This is the second consecutive day that the number of cases have crossed the 400 mark. On Friday, 416 people were infected. The deaths had occurred at Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam districts on Friday. Three health workers were among those who tested positive today. Totally, 2.33 lakh samples have been collected so far and results of 6,449 samples are awaited. There are 195 hotspots as of today. In Thiruvananthapuram, a Quick Response Team has been constituted, comprising police, revenue and health workers which will function round the clock in the worst affected Poonthura fishing hamlet, the Chief Minister said.

488 new cases in Kerala as infection tally touches 7438; 2 deaths

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

Poonthura in Thiruvananthapuram will have strict measures in place as the state government has decided to close the borders of the suburb amid rising cases of COVID-19. 
 
With 119 COVID-19 positive cases reported of the 600 samples tested in five days, the coastal belt of Poonthura is becoming a major hotspot of coronavirus. 
 
In the backdrop of this, a high-level meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Wednesday, which was attended by Chief Secretary, the Health Secretary, the Police Chief and the District Collector of Thiruvananthapuram.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/india-news/kerala-30kg-gold-smuggling-controversy-gets-murky-cbi-customs-meeting-underway-311600" hreflang="en">Kerala: 30kg gold smuggling controversy gets murky; CBI, Customs meeting underway</a> 
 
The meeting evaluated the situation and the Chief Minister has directed for immediate intervention.In the meeting, it was decided to strictly prevent people from reaching Poonthura from outside. 
 
Coastal police have been advised to stop people from reaching Poonthura by sea and the borders will be sealed. The district administration will provide all necessary assistance to the people of the region. 
 
Now, more COVID-19 tests will be conducted in the locality.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/india-news/kerala-reports-a-highest-single-day-spike-of-211-cases-tally-nearing-5000-mark-310525" hreflang="en">Kerala reports a highest single-day spike of 211 cases, tally nearing 5000 mark</a> 
 
The state government has also decided to provide free rations to each family in the three wards at Poonthura from tomorrow onwards.Currently, an enhanced triple lockdown is in place in Thiruvananthapuram city after a spike in the number of cases and authorities unable to find the source of transmission in many cases that were reported recently. 
 
The total number of positive cases in Kerala stands at 5,894 including 2415 active cases, as per the Union Health Ministry.

Poonthura in Thiruvananthapuram will have strict measures in place as the state government has decided to close the borders of the suburb amid rising cases of COVID-19.

Poonthura in Thiruvananthapuram will have strict measures in place as the state government has decided to close the borders of the suburb amid rising cases of COVID-19. With 119 COVID-19 positive cases reported of the 600 samples tested in five days, the coastal belt of Poonthura is becoming a major hotspot of coronavirus. In the backdrop of this, a high-level meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Wednesday, which was attended by Chief Secretary, the Health Secretary, the Police Chief and the District Collector of Thiruvananthapuram. Also read: Kerala: 30kg gold smuggling controversy gets murky; CBI, Customs meeting underway The meeting evaluated the situation and the Chief Minister has directed for immediate intervention.In the meeting, it was decided to strictly prevent people from reaching Poonthura from outside. Coastal police have been advised to stop people from reaching Poonthura by sea and the borders will be sealed. The district administration will provide all necessary assistance to the people of the region. Now, more COVID-19 tests will be conducted in the locality. Also read: Kerala reports a highest single-day spike of 211 cases, tally nearing 5000 mark The state government has also decided to provide free rations to each family in the three wards at Poonthura from tomorrow onwards.Currently, an enhanced triple lockdown is in place in Thiruvananthapuram city after a spike in the number of cases and authorities unable to find the source of transmission in many cases that were reported recently. The total number of positive cases in Kerala stands at 5,894 including 2415 active cases, as per the Union Health Ministry.

Kerala: Strict measures in place in Poonthura after surge in COVID-19 cases, borders to be sealed

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

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched an investigation into the Kerala smuggling case to find out who was trying to smuggle gold to India under its consulate's name in the southern state and had sent the cargo addressed to it.

According to local authorities, Sarith Kumar, a former PRO at the consulate and one Swapna Suresh, working with Kerala govt IT Company were involved in the gold smuggling racket.&nbsp;A major political row has broken in Kerala after customs seized the diplomatic baggage containing gold worth crores a few days ago.&nbsp;

A statement by the UAE mission in Delhi said, "The authorities have stressed that the culprits who not only committed a major crime but also sought to tarnish the reputation of the UAE mission in India will not be spared. We remain committed to cooperating with Indian authorities in getting to the root of the crime."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-gold-smuggling-ias-officer-m-sivasankar-removed-from-it-secretary-post-311388" hreflang="en">Kerala gold smuggling: IAS officer M Sivasankar removed from IT secretary post</a>

The mission pointed out that the, "employee in question was fired for misconduct long preceding this incident. At this time, it appears that this individual exploited his knowledge of the mission’s channels to engage in criminal activity."

The UAE Embassy has also "utterly condemned&nbsp;the attempted misuse of diplomatic channels by an individual engaged in smuggling activity".

Swapna Suresh&nbsp;was working as a manager at the Kerala State Information technology infrastructure limited company and was hired by IAS official M Sivasankar. Sivasankar, principal secretary to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has been now removed and has been replaced by Mir Muhammad Ali. The opposition in the state is now seeking a wider probe into the matter.&nbsp;

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched an investigation into the Kerala smuggling case to find out who was trying to smuggle gold to India under its consulate's name in the southern state and had sent the cargo addressed to it.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched an investigation into the Kerala smuggling case to find out who was trying to smuggle gold to India under its consulate's name in the southern state and had sent the cargo addressed to it. According to local authorities, Sarith Kumar, a former PRO at the consulate and one Swapna Suresh, working with Kerala govt IT Company were involved in the gold smuggling racket. A major political row has broken in Kerala after customs seized the diplomatic baggage containing gold worth crores a few days ago. A statement by the UAE mission in Delhi said, "The authorities have stressed that the culprits who not only committed a major crime but also sought to tarnish the reputation of the UAE mission in India will not be spared. We remain committed to cooperating with Indian authorities in getting to the root of the crime." Also read: Kerala gold smuggling: IAS officer M Sivasankar removed from IT secretary post The mission pointed out that the, "employee in question was fired for misconduct long preceding this incident. At this time, it appears that this individual exploited his knowledge of the mission’s channels to engage in criminal activity." The UAE Embassy has also "utterly condemned the attempted misuse of diplomatic channels by an individual engaged in smuggling activity". Swapna Suresh was working as a manager at the Kerala State Information technology infrastructure limited company and was hired by IAS official M Sivasankar. Sivasankar, principal secretary to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has been now removed and has been replaced by Mir Muhammad Ali. The opposition in the state is now seeking a wider probe into the matter.

Kerala smuggling case: UAE launches investigation; says culprits won't be spared

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

Kerala government on Tuesday removed IAS officer M Sivasankar from the post of IT secretary. The government said that Mohammed Y. Safirulla will be the new IT secretary.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/106-year-old-delhi-man-who-was-child-during-spanish-flu-in-1918-survives-covid-19-310970" hreflang="en">106-year-old Delhi man who was child during Spanish Flu in 1918 survives COVID-19</a>

Earlier in the day, he was also removed from the post of Principal Secretary of Chief Minister after the Opposition allegation over alleged nexus between Kerala Chief Minister`s Office with Swapna Suresh, a suspect in the gold smuggling case.

On Sunday, thirty kilograms of gold concealed in diplomatic baggage was seized at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport here by the customs department.

The customs sources said Swapna is on the run while Sarith Kumar, a former consulate PRO, was taken into custody and after the interrogation, his arrest was recorded.

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has alleged that Swapna was working in the IT department under the Government of Kerala and demanded a CBI probe in the matter.BJP state president K Surendran also alleged that the first call to protect Swapna was from the Chief minister`s Office.

Kerala government on Tuesday removed IAS officer M Sivasankar from the post of IT secretary. The government said that Mohammed Y. Safirulla will be the new IT secretary.

Kerala government on Tuesday removed IAS officer M Sivasankar from the post of IT secretary. The government said that Mohammed Y. Safirulla will be the new IT secretary. Also read: 106-year-old Delhi man who was child during Spanish Flu in 1918 survives COVID-19 Earlier in the day, he was also removed from the post of Principal Secretary of Chief Minister after the Opposition allegation over alleged nexus between Kerala Chief Minister`s Office with Swapna Suresh, a suspect in the gold smuggling case. On Sunday, thirty kilograms of gold concealed in diplomatic baggage was seized at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport here by the customs department. The customs sources said Swapna is on the run while Sarith Kumar, a former consulate PRO, was taken into custody and after the interrogation, his arrest was recorded. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has alleged that Swapna was working in the IT department under the Government of Kerala and demanded a CBI probe in the matter.BJP state president K Surendran also alleged that the first call to protect Swapna was from the Chief minister`s Office.

Kerala gold smuggling: IAS officer M Sivasankar removed from IT secretary post

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

As many as 99 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Rajasthan since Sunday night. Three patients have also lost their lives due to the deadly pandemic.

With this, the total number of cases in the state has gone up to 20,263. Of them, 15,968 have already recovered and 3,836 cases still remain active. So far, the virus has led to the deaths of 459, the state health department said on Monday.

At present, Rajasthan is among the top 10 states in the country affected by the virus. It is closely behind West Bengal, which has 22,126 total cases, 14,711 recovered and 757 deaths. Maharashtra is the worst affected state in the country with 206,619 confirmed cases, 111,740 recovered and 8,822 deaths.

Across the country, there are 697,413 confirmed cases, 424,433 recovered, while 19,693 people have lost their lives due to the coronavirus.&nbsp;

As many as 99 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Rajasthan since Sunday night. Three patients have also lost their lives due to the deadly pandemic. With this, the total number of cases in the state has gone up to 20,263.

As many as 99 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Rajasthan since Sunday night. Three patients have also lost their lives due to the deadly pandemic. With this, the total number of cases in the state has gone up to 20,263. Of them, 15,968 have already recovered and 3,836 cases still remain active. So far, the virus has led to the deaths of 459, the state health department said on Monday. At present, Rajasthan is among the top 10 states in the country affected by the virus. It is closely behind West Bengal, which has 22,126 total cases, 14,711 recovered and 757 deaths. Maharashtra is the worst affected state in the country with 206,619 confirmed cases, 111,740 recovered and 8,822 deaths. Across the country, there are 697,413 confirmed cases, 424,433 recovered, while 19,693 people have lost their lives due to the coronavirus.

99 new COVID-19 cases reported in Rajasthan; tally now stands at 20,263

India reported a spike of 24,248 new coronavirus cases and 425 deaths in the past 24 hours on Monday.

Positive cases stand at 6, 97,413 including 2, 53,287 active cases, 4, 24,433 cured/discharged/migrated &amp; 19,693 deaths

As many as 1, 80,596 samples were tested on Sunday, says the Indian Council of Medical Research. Till 5 July, India has tested 99, 69,662 samples.

India went past Russia on Sunday to become the third worst-hit nation by the COVID-19 pandemic. Only the US and Brazil are ahead of India in terms of total coronavirus infections.

Russia has 6, 81,251 infections while Brazil has 15, 78,376 and the US has 29, 54,999 cases, according to Worldometer which compiles the COVID-19 data from around the globe.

Meanwhile, more than 6 million individuals have recovered from COVID-19 around the world, days after 11 million cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed globally.

(With inputs from agencies)

India reported a spike of 24,248 new coronavirus cases and 425 deaths in the past 24 hours on Monday. Positive cases stand at 6, 97,413 including 2, 53,287 active cases, 4, 24,433 cured/discharged/migrated & 19,693 deaths As many as 1, 80,596 samples were tested on Sunday, says the Indian Council of Medical Research.

India reported a spike of 24,248 new coronavirus cases and 425 deaths in the past 24 hours on Monday. Positive cases stand at 6, 97,413 including 2, 53,287 active cases, 4, 24,433 cured/discharged/migrated & 19,693 deaths As many as 1, 80,596 samples were tested on Sunday, says the Indian Council of Medical Research. Till 5 July, India has tested 99, 69,662 samples. India went past Russia on Sunday to become the third worst-hit nation by the COVID-19 pandemic. Only the US and Brazil are ahead of India in terms of total coronavirus infections. Russia has 6, 81,251 infections while Brazil has 15, 78,376 and the US has 29, 54,999 cases, according to Worldometer which compiles the COVID-19 data from around the globe. Meanwhile, more than 6 million individuals have recovered from COVID-19 around the world, days after 11 million cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed globally. (With inputs from agencies)

Covid-19: 24,248 new cases, 425 deaths in last 24 hours as India becomes the third worst-hit nation

A 106-year old man from Delhi, who had witnessed the 1918 Spanish Flu when he was four, has won the battle against COVID-19 and recovered faster than his son, in his 70s, at a dedicated coronavirus facility here, doctors said.

The 106-year-old patient was discharged from the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) recently after recovering, where his wife, son and another family member also recuperated after contracting the novel coronavirus infection, they said.

"Perhaps, he is the first reported case of COVID-19 in Delhi who also went through the dreaded Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 which like COVID-19 had also ravaged the world. And, he not only recovered from COVID-19, he recovered faster than his son, who is also very old," a senior doctor.

Spanish Flu was a pandemic which hit the world 102 years ago and affected nearly one-third of the global population at that time.

"The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. Although there is no universal consensus regarding where the virus originated, it spread worldwide during 1918-1919," according to the Centre for Diseases Control (CDC) in the US.

In the US, it was first identified in military personnel in spring 1918. It is estimated that about 6,75,000 deaths occurred in America, it said.

According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, the pandemic of 1918-1919 called the Spanish Flu was particularly virulent and killed an estimated 40 million people worldwide.

In India, the disease is believed to have been brought in by the soldiers returning from World War I conflicts.

The first cases of Spanish Flu were reported in areas which are major ports of entry, such as Mumbai (then Bombay), Kolkata (Calcutta), Delhi and Chennai (Madras), where a large number of people returned from abroad.

The casualty count in India from the Spanish Flu is believed to be nearly one-fifth of the entire fatalities in the world, though the statistics for mortality in India are too wide-ranging and debatable.

Doctors at the RGSSH, a dedicated COVID-19 facility were amazed to see the recovery of this centenarian patient from the novel coronavirus, even though he was highly vulnerable to the infection.

"We don't know whether he was affected by the Spanish Flu or not. We haven't seen much documentation on the situation back then as far as Delhi is concerned, but very few hospitals were there at that time. It is amazing this 106-year-old showed the will power to survive," a senior doctor, who monitored his situation, said.

But, what is more, interesting is that he recovered faster than his son, who is in his 70s. So, he lived through the Spanish Flu and now survived COVID-19, hence, he lived through two pandemics, he said.

Notably, his wife and another family member also had contracted COVID-19, and have successfully recovered about a month-and-a-half ago., the doctor said.

The RGSSH has treated 1,000 COVID-19 patients so fare, and on Monday it is marking the milestone with a symbolic event where Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendar Jain are slated to participate.

Delhi recorded 2,505 fresh coronavirus cases on Friday, taking the tally in the city to over 97,000-mark, while the death toll from the disease mounted to 3,004, authorities said.

The national capital, at present, is the worst-COVID-19-hit city across India.

According to the COVID-19 health bulletin, 68,256 patients have been recovered, or discharged or migrated so far. 
&nbsp;

A 106-year old man from Delhi, who had witnessed the 1918 Spanish Flu when he was four, has won the battle against COVID-19 and recovered faster than his son, in his 70s, at a dedicated coronavirus facility here, doctors said.

A 106-year old man from Delhi, who had witnessed the 1918 Spanish Flu when he was four, has won the battle against COVID-19 and recovered faster than his son, in his 70s, at a dedicated coronavirus facility here, doctors said. The 106-year-old patient was discharged from the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) recently after recovering, where his wife, son and another family member also recuperated after contracting the novel coronavirus infection, they said. "Perhaps, he is the first reported case of COVID-19 in Delhi who also went through the dreaded Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 which like COVID-19 had also ravaged the world. And, he not only recovered from COVID-19, he recovered faster than his son, who is also very old," a senior doctor. Spanish Flu was a pandemic which hit the world 102 years ago and affected nearly one-third of the global population at that time. "The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. Although there is no universal consensus regarding where the virus originated, it spread worldwide during 1918-1919," according to the Centre for Diseases Control (CDC) in the US. In the US, it was first identified in military personnel in spring 1918. It is estimated that about 6,75,000 deaths occurred in America, it said. According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, the pandemic of 1918-1919 called the Spanish Flu was particularly virulent and killed an estimated 40 million people worldwide. In India, the disease is believed to have been brought in by the soldiers returning from World War I conflicts. The first cases of Spanish Flu were reported in areas which are major ports of entry, such as Mumbai (then Bombay), Kolkata (Calcutta), Delhi and Chennai (Madras), where a large number of people returned from abroad. The casualty count in India from the Spanish Flu is believed to be nearly one-fifth of the entire fatalities in the world, though the statistics for mortality in India are too wide-ranging and debatable. Doctors at the RGSSH, a dedicated COVID-19 facility were amazed to see the recovery of this centenarian patient from the novel coronavirus, even though he was highly vulnerable to the infection. "We don't know whether he was affected by the Spanish Flu or not. We haven't seen much documentation on the situation back then as far as Delhi is concerned, but very few hospitals were there at that time. It is amazing this 106-year-old showed the will power to survive," a senior doctor, who monitored his situation, said. But, what is more, interesting is that he recovered faster than his son, who is in his 70s. So, he lived through the Spanish Flu and now survived COVID-19, hence, he lived through two pandemics, he said. Notably, his wife and another family member also had contracted COVID-19, and have successfully recovered about a month-and-a-half ago., the doctor said. The RGSSH has treated 1,000 COVID-19 patients so fare, and on Monday it is marking the milestone with a symbolic event where Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendar Jain are slated to participate. Delhi recorded 2,505 fresh coronavirus cases on Friday, taking the tally in the city to over 97,000-mark, while the death toll from the disease mounted to 3,004, authorities said. The national capital, at present, is the worst-COVID-19-hit city across India. According to the COVID-19 health bulletin, 68,256 patients have been recovered, or discharged or migrated so far.

106-year-old Delhi man who was child during Spanish Flu in 1918 survives COVID-19

The total number of tests for detection of COVID-19 crossed the one-crore mark in India on Monday, an ICMR official said.

A single-day jump of 24,248 COVID-19 cases took India's tally close to the 7-lakh mark on Monday, while the death toll due to the disease climbed to 19,693 with 425 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry.

"A cumulative total of 1,00,04,101 samples have been tested till 11 am on Monday with 1,80,596 samples being tested on July 5," Scientist and media coordinator at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dr Lokesh Sharma said.

There are now 1,105 testing labs in the country comprising 788 in the public sector and 317 private labs.

The per day testing capacity is also fast growing, Sharma said.

Around 2,00,000 samples have been tested on an average daily for the last 14 days, he said.

India had crossed the nine million-mark on July 1.

"The per day testing capacity which was around 1.5 lakh on May 25 is more than three lakh per day now," Sharma said.

Starting with one single laboratory at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune and then expanding to 100 laboratories in the beginning of the lockdown, the ICMR on June 23 validated the 1000th testing laboratory.

Various steps taken by the central government have paved the way for enhanced testing for COVID-19, the health ministry had said earlier.

The Centre has strongly advised states and UTs to take immediate steps to facilitate testing at the earliest by enabling all qualified medical practitioners, including private practitioners, to prescribe COVID test to any individual fulfilling the criteria for testing as per the ICMR guidelines.

Reiterating that 'Test-Track-Treat' is the key strategy for early detection and containment of the outbreak, the Centre last week advised them to take all possible steps to ensure full capacity utilization of all COVID-19 testing laboratories.

States were also asked to facilitate testing in a big way by adoption of 'campaign mode' by organizing testing camps, using mobile vans etc.

This shall effectively take COVID-19 tests to the people's doorsteps in high incidence areas to collect samples of all symptomatic individuals as well as their contacts, and get those samples tested by using rapid antigen tests, the ministry had said.

The total number of tests for detection of COVID-19 crossed the one-crore mark in India on Monday, an ICMR official said. A single-day jump of 24,248 COVID-19 cases took India's tally close to the 7-lakh mark on Monday, while the death toll due to the disease climbed to 19,693 with 425 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry.

The total number of tests for detection of COVID-19 crossed the one-crore mark in India on Monday, an ICMR official said. A single-day jump of 24,248 COVID-19 cases took India's tally close to the 7-lakh mark on Monday, while the death toll due to the disease climbed to 19,693 with 425 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry. "A cumulative total of 1,00,04,101 samples have been tested till 11 am on Monday with 1,80,596 samples being tested on July 5," Scientist and media coordinator at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dr Lokesh Sharma said. There are now 1,105 testing labs in the country comprising 788 in the public sector and 317 private labs. The per day testing capacity is also fast growing, Sharma said. Around 2,00,000 samples have been tested on an average daily for the last 14 days, he said. India had crossed the nine million-mark on July 1. "The per day testing capacity which was around 1.5 lakh on May 25 is more than three lakh per day now," Sharma said. Starting with one single laboratory at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune and then expanding to 100 laboratories in the beginning of the lockdown, the ICMR on June 23 validated the 1000th testing laboratory. Various steps taken by the central government have paved the way for enhanced testing for COVID-19, the health ministry had said earlier. The Centre has strongly advised states and UTs to take immediate steps to facilitate testing at the earliest by enabling all qualified medical practitioners, including private practitioners, to prescribe COVID test to any individual fulfilling the criteria for testing as per the ICMR guidelines. Reiterating that 'Test-Track-Treat' is the key strategy for early detection and containment of the outbreak, the Centre last week advised them to take all possible steps to ensure full capacity utilization of all COVID-19 testing laboratories. States were also asked to facilitate testing in a big way by adoption of 'campaign mode' by organizing testing camps, using mobile vans etc. This shall effectively take COVID-19 tests to the people's doorsteps in high incidence areas to collect samples of all symptomatic individuals as well as their contacts, and get those samples tested by using rapid antigen tests, the ministry had said.

COVID-19 tests in India cross one-crore mark as country reports more than 20,000 cases for fourth consecutive day

The National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) were postponed till September, announced Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal. The new dates were announced by the HRD Minister in a video message issued by him on microblogging website Twitter.

"Keeping in mind the safety of students and to ensure quality education, we have decided to postpone JEE and NEET examinations," Pokhriyal tweeted. 
&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Keeping in mind the safety of students and to ensure quality education we have decided to postpone <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JEE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JEE</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NEET?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NEET</a> examinations. JEE Main examination will be held between 1st-6th Sept, JEE advanced exam will be held on 27th Sept &amp; NEET examination will be held on 13th Sept. <a href="https://t.co/klTjtBxvuw">pic.twitter.com/klTjtBxvuw</a>
— Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrRPNishank/status/1279051659721666560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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On Thursday, the HRD ministry formed a panel to check the feasibility to conduct the examinations in July. The JEE examination will be held between September 1 to 6, JEE Advanced examination will be held on September 27 and NEET examination will be held on September 13. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) were postponed till September, announced Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal.

The National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) were postponed till September, announced Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal. The new dates were announced by the HRD Minister in a video message issued by him on microblogging website Twitter. "Keeping in mind the safety of students and to ensure quality education, we have decided to postpone JEE and NEET examinations," Pokhriyal tweeted. Keeping in mind the safety of students and to ensure quality education we have decided to postpone #JEE & #NEET examinations. JEE Main examination will be held between 1st-6th Sept, JEE advanced exam will be held on 27th Sept & NEET examination will be held on 13th Sept. pic.twitter.com/klTjtBxvuw — Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) July 3, 2020 × On Thursday, the HRD ministry formed a panel to check the feasibility to conduct the examinations in July. The JEE examination will be held between September 1 to 6, JEE Advanced examination will be held on September 27 and NEET examination will be held on September 13. (With inputs from agencies)

NEET, JEE Exams 2020 postponed to September amid Covid-19 fears

Maharashtra reported the biggest single-day spike of 6364 COVID-19 cases so far on Friday, which took the tally of patients in the state to 192990, a health official said.&nbsp;

The state also reported deaths of 198 coronavirus positive patients, due to which the number of victims grew to 8376, the official said.

3515 patients were discharged today after recovery. So far, 104,687 patients have been recovered and discharged in Maharashtra.

With the highest ever single-day spike of 20,903 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, India’s coronavirus tally reached 6, 25,544 on Friday. Out of which 2, 27,439 patients are active cases while 3, 79,892 patients have been cured/discharged/migrated, the Union Health Ministry said.

Meanwhile, 10,992,462 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19 so far. Of them, 6,140,758 have recovered, and 524,039 have died, according to Worldometer.

The United States remains by far the worst affected country with 2,836,875 coronavirus cases and 131,477 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,501,353 cases, deaths 61,990), Russia (661,165 cases, 9,683 deaths), and India (627,168 cases, 18,225 deaths).

(With inputs from agencies)

Maharashtra reported the biggest single-day spike of 6364 COVID-19 cases so far on Friday, which took the tally of patients in the state to 192990, a health official said.

Maharashtra reported the biggest single-day spike of 6364 COVID-19 cases so far on Friday, which took the tally of patients in the state to 192990, a health official said. The state also reported deaths of 198 coronavirus positive patients, due to which the number of victims grew to 8376, the official said. 3515 patients were discharged today after recovery. So far, 104,687 patients have been recovered and discharged in Maharashtra. With the highest ever single-day spike of 20,903 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, India’s coronavirus tally reached 6, 25,544 on Friday. Out of which 2, 27,439 patients are active cases while 3, 79,892 patients have been cured/discharged/migrated, the Union Health Ministry said. Meanwhile, 10,992,462 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19 so far. Of them, 6,140,758 have recovered, and 524,039 have died, according to Worldometer. The United States remains by far the worst affected country with 2,836,875 coronavirus cases and 131,477 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,501,353 cases, deaths 61,990), Russia (661,165 cases, 9,683 deaths), and India (627,168 cases, 18,225 deaths). (With inputs from agencies)

Maharashtra records highest single-day spike in COVID-19 numbers

The deadly coronavirus containment zones in Delhi have risen to 445 on Friday, according to government data.&nbsp;

Of these, 398 areas are active containment zones while 47 have been scaled-down but are yet to be de-contained.&nbsp;

A total of 218 areas have been added to the list of containment zones after June 21. COVID-19 cases in the national capital crossed 92,000 on Thursday.

Meanwhile, with the highest ever single-day spike of 20,903 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, India’s coronavirus tally reached 6, 25,544 on Friday. Out of which 2, 27,439 patients are active cases while 3, 79,892 patients have been cured/discharged/migrated, the Union Health Ministry said.

10,992,462 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19 so far. Of them, 6,140,758 have recovered, and 524,039 have died, according to Worldometer.

The United States remains by far the worst affected country with 2,836,875 coronavirus cases and 131,477 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,501,353 cases, deaths 61,990), Russia (661,165 cases, 9,683 deaths), and India (627,168 cases, 18,225 deaths).

 
(With inputs from agencies)

The deadly coronavirus containment zones in Delhi have risen to 445 on Friday, according to government data. Of these, 398 areas are active containment zones while 47 have been scaled-down but are yet to be de-contained.

The deadly coronavirus containment zones in Delhi have risen to 445 on Friday, according to government data. Of these, 398 areas are active containment zones while 47 have been scaled-down but are yet to be de-contained. A total of 218 areas have been added to the list of containment zones after June 21. COVID-19 cases in the national capital crossed 92,000 on Thursday. Meanwhile, with the highest ever single-day spike of 20,903 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, India’s coronavirus tally reached 6, 25,544 on Friday. Out of which 2, 27,439 patients are active cases while 3, 79,892 patients have been cured/discharged/migrated, the Union Health Ministry said. 10,992,462 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19 so far. Of them, 6,140,758 have recovered, and 524,039 have died, according to Worldometer. The United States remains by far the worst affected country with 2,836,875 coronavirus cases and 131,477 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,501,353 cases, deaths 61,990), Russia (661,165 cases, 9,683 deaths), and India (627,168 cases, 18,225 deaths). (With inputs from agencies)

Coronavirus containment zones in Delhi rise to 445

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday said that his government is making all-out efforts, including setting up of COVID-19 hospitals, to ensure best healthcare services for the patients.

Sonowal visited COVID care centres at IIT Guwahati and Maniram Dewan Trade Centre here to view the arrangements made for patients following a recent surge in the number of cases in Guwahati, an official release said.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma along with his junior minister Pijush Hazarika and officials of the health department apprised Sonowal about the facilities available at the centres, it said.

There are provisions for 800 isolation beds at IIT Guwahati and 440 beds at Maniram Dewan Trade Centre, the release said.

Due to the proactive steps of the health department, more than 6,000 people have recovered so far while 3,000 patients are under treatment, the chief minister was quoted as saying.

He urged the people of the state to strictly adhere to the guidelines issued by the health department on COVID-19.

Sonowal said his government is committed to keeping people safe and has made dedicated efforts in this regard.

He also praised the residents of Guwahati for sincerely following the norms of the ongoing lockdown in the city.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday said that his government is making all-out efforts, including setting up of COVID-19 hospitals, to ensure best healthcare services for the patients.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday said that his government is making all-out efforts, including setting up of COVID-19 hospitals, to ensure best healthcare services for the patients. Sonowal visited COVID care centres at IIT Guwahati and Maniram Dewan Trade Centre here to view the arrangements made for patients following a recent surge in the number of cases in Guwahati, an official release said. Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma along with his junior minister Pijush Hazarika and officials of the health department apprised Sonowal about the facilities available at the centres, it said. There are provisions for 800 isolation beds at IIT Guwahati and 440 beds at Maniram Dewan Trade Centre, the release said. Due to the proactive steps of the health department, more than 6,000 people have recovered so far while 3,000 patients are under treatment, the chief minister was quoted as saying. He urged the people of the state to strictly adhere to the guidelines issued by the health department on COVID-19. Sonowal said his government is committed to keeping people safe and has made dedicated efforts in this regard. He also praised the residents of Guwahati for sincerely following the norms of the ongoing lockdown in the city.

Assam making all-out efforts to provide best healthcare services to COVID-19 patients: CM Sonowal

The Indian state of Kerala on Friday reported 211 more fresh coronavirus cases — the highest ever registered in a single day.

According to the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan "Of the new cases, 138 are returnees from abroad, 39 returnees from within the country, 27 local infectees, six CISF personnel, and one air cabin crew. Besides cities, villages are also now reporting positive patients. So far, 4,961 cases were detected, including 2,098 positive cases at present. As many as 1, 77,011 persons are in isolation, including 2,894 in various hospitals,.”

With the highest ever single-day spike of 20,903 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, India’s coronavirus tally reached 6, 25,544 on Friday. Out of which 2, 27,439 patients are active cases while 3, 79,892 patients have been cured/discharged/migrated, the Union Health Ministry said.

Meanwhile, 10,992,462 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19 so far. Of them, 6,140,758 have recovered, and 524,039 have died, according to Worldometer.

The United States remains by far the worst affected country with 2,836,875 coronavirus cases and 131,477 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,501,353 cases, deaths 61,990), Russia (661,165 cases, 9,683 deaths), and India (627,168 cases, 18,225 deaths).

(With inputs from agencies)

The Indian state of Kerala on Friday reported 211 more fresh coronavirus cases — the highest ever registered in a single day. According to the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan "Of the new cases, 138 are returnees from abroad, 39 returnees from within the country, 27 local infectees, six CISF personnel, and one air cabin crew.

The Indian state of Kerala on Friday reported 211 more fresh coronavirus cases — the highest ever registered in a single day. According to the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan "Of the new cases, 138 are returnees from abroad, 39 returnees from within the country, 27 local infectees, six CISF personnel, and one air cabin crew. Besides cities, villages are also now reporting positive patients. So far, 4,961 cases were detected, including 2,098 positive cases at present. As many as 1, 77,011 persons are in isolation, including 2,894 in various hospitals,.” With the highest ever single-day spike of 20,903 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, India’s coronavirus tally reached 6, 25,544 on Friday. Out of which 2, 27,439 patients are active cases while 3, 79,892 patients have been cured/discharged/migrated, the Union Health Ministry said. Meanwhile, 10,992,462 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19 so far. Of them, 6,140,758 have recovered, and 524,039 have died, according to Worldometer. The United States remains by far the worst affected country with 2,836,875 coronavirus cases and 131,477 deaths. It is followed by Brazil (1,501,353 cases, deaths 61,990), Russia (661,165 cases, 9,683 deaths), and India (627,168 cases, 18,225 deaths). (With inputs from agencies)

Kerala reports a highest single-day spike of 211 cases, tally nearing 5000 mark

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