Coronavirus LIVE: 5,739 fresh Covid-19 cases, 27 deaths in Delhi today

Coronavirus Live update: Maharashtra has 16,66,668 coronavirus cases, Andhra Pradesh 814,774, Karnataka 812,784, Tamil Nadu 716,751 and UP 476,034 . Stay tuned for coronavirus India LIVE updates

8:15 PM

Coronavirus LIVE update: Gujarat reports 987 new Covid-19 cases

The COVID-19 infection count in Gujarat reached 1,71,040 on Thursday after 987 people tested positive in the last 24 hours, the state health department said. As many as 1,083 patients recovered during this period, which took the state's recovery count to 1,54,078, it said. The death toll due to the virus now stands at 3,708 as four patients succumbed to the infection, the department said in a release.

 

The number of active cases in the state is 13,254. Gujarat's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 1,71,040; new cases 987; deaths 3,708; discharged 1,54,078; active cases 13,254 and people tested so far 59,50,616.

8:06 PM

Maharashtra reports 5,902 new Covid-19 cases and 156 deaths

Maharashtra's coronavirus tally on Thursday increased to 16,66,668 with 5,902 new cases being reported, a health official said. The state also recorded 156 deaths, taking the death toll due to COVID-19 to 43,710, he said. A total of 7,883 patients were discharged after treatment during the day, taking the tally of recovered people to 14,94,809.

 

There are 1,27,603 active patients as of now.

 

Mumbai city reported 1,120 new cases which pushed its caseload to 2,55,360, while death toll in the city rose to 10,229 with 33 fatalities being recorded on Thursday. The state has so far conducted 88,37,133 tests. Maharashtra's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases: 16,66,668, new cases: 5,902, death toll: 43,710, discharged: 14,94,809, active cases: 1,27,603, people tested so far: 88,37,133.

7:53 PM

Centre advises states/UTs to gear up 'testing, tracking and treatment' strategy during festivities

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Thursday reviewed the status of response measures to COVID-19 in West Bengal, Delhi and Kerala and advised the states and Union Territories (UTs) to gear up testing, tracking and treatment strategy during the festive season. Bhushan has advised these states and UTs to ensure enforcement of precautionary measures like maintaining social distancing, sanitisation, wearing of masks, etc.

 

On Thursday, Delhi has reported 29,378 active COVID cases with a fatality rate of 1.76 per cent and a positivity rate of 7.9 per cent. As many as 5,673 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours.

 

"There has been nearly 46 per cent increase in the new COVID cases over the past four weeks. The positivity rate over the last four weeks has escalated by nearly 9 per cent. The rising cases were attributed by the Delhi team to social gatherings during the festivities, the deteriorating air quality, increasing incidences of respiratory disorders, and clusters of positive cases at work places. The fatigue among frontline workers was also discussed," said the Health Ministry in a statement.

7:48 PM

Maharashtra reports 5,902 new Covid-19 cases and 156 deaths

7:42 PM

Andhra Pradesh reports 2,905 coronavirus cases

A new record high of 88,778 samples were tested in a single day for the coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh but only 2,905 of them turned positive, in what is seen as a clear indication of the continuing decline in the spread of the infection.

 

The latest bulletin said a total of 78,62,459 tests had been done in the state so far, which revealed an overall infection positivity rate of 10.40 per cent, after 8,17,679 cases were confirmed. In 24 hours ending 9 am on Thursday, as many as 3,243 patients had recovered from the disease, taking the total to 7,84,752.

 

Another 16 patients succumbed, the lowest in a day in many months, as the overall toll mounted to 6,659, the bulletin said. The active cases slumped to 26,268. West Godavari district added 494, East Godavari 414, Krishna 361 and Guntur 359 fresh cases.

7:29 PM

Nearly 1.1 mn Covid-19 tests conducted daily on an average during past six weeks: Govt

7:29 PM

Andhra Pradesh allows govt schools, colleges to reopen from Nov 2

Andhra Pradesh has allowed all government schools and colleges to reopen from November 2 with all precautionary measures amid the Covid pandemic. Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney confirmed that the state government is going ahead with reopening educational institutions. The date for reopening schools was already communicated earlier, even as the uncertainty over colleges has also been cleared now.

 

"Schools would be run on alternate days in three phases for which officials are making arrangements. Precautionary measures would be taken to contain the spread of Covid-19," Sawhney said.

 

As part of the reopening, classes 9, 10 and intermediate first and second year will function on alternate days for only half a day.

7:10 PM

Coronavirus recovery count crosses 15,000-mark in Maharashtra's Amravati

The count of recovered COVID-19 patients crossed the 15,000 mark in Amravati district of Maharashtra, after 89 of them were discharged on Thursday, the authorities said. The recovery count now stands at 15,081, while its rate has reached 93.09 per cent, the civil surgeon office said in its report.

 

Seventy new cases were reported in the district during the day, which took the overall caseload to 16,200, it said. The district has 756 active cases at present, it added. The death of one patient took the toll to 363, the office said.

6:59 PM

Social gatherings in festivities, poor air quality among reasons for Covid-19 cases rise in Delhi: Govt

Social gatherings during festivities, deteriorating air quality, increasing incidences of respiratory disorders are among a few reasons attributed to the rise in COVID-19 cases in Delhi, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday.

 

A review meeting on the status of the infection in Delhi, West Bengal and Kerala was held by Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan in the presence of V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, and Balram Bhargava, DG, ICMR, according to a statement by the health ministry.

 

Delhi with 29,378 active cases has recorded nearly 46 per cent increase in the fresh cases over the past four weeks, and the positivity rate over the past four weeks has escalated by nearly 9 per cent, the ministry said.

 

"The rising cases were attributed by the Delhi team to social gatherings during the festivities, deteriorating air quality, increasing incidences of respiratory disorders and clusters of positive cases at work places. The fatigue among frontline workers was also discussed," it said.

6:43 PM

Covid-19 vaccine not likely to be available by next year: Anthony Fauci

Anthony Fauci, America's top infectious disease expert, has said that it was not likely for a Covid-19 vaccine to be available in the US until next year, the media reported. He made the remarks on Wednesday during a virtual session with the editor-in-chief of the JAMA medical journal, The Hill news website reported.

 

Fauci said that even though companies "would have enough data for the independent safety monitoring board to recommend applying for emergency authorization" by December, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) might not grant that authorization early next year.

 

The director of the National Institutes for Allergies and Infectious Diseases further said that the FDA's vaccine committee is going to want to see "good enough safety data and even prolonged efficacy data". READ ON...

6:32 PM

SC takes into account WHO report on Remdesivir, seeks Centre's response

The Supreme Court on Thursday took into account a World Health Organisation report, indicating that Remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir and interferon regimens appeared to have little or no effect in the treatment of Covid-19. The top court sought a response from the Centre on a plea alleging that Remdesivir and Favipiravir are being used without approval.

 

A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian said after going through the report they noted that it is a serious matter.

 

Advocate M.L. Sharma, who appeared in-person, citing the WHO report published on October 15, submitted that several hundred trials have been carried out with Remdesivir and it is found that this medicine has little or no effect in the treatment of Covid-19.

6:25 PM

Rajasthan detects 1,790 new coronavirus cases and 11 deaths today till 6pm

6:15 PM

62-year-old Cancer patient recovers from coronavirus

A 62-year-old man who is suffering from third stage cancer has recovered from COVID-19 after a long battle, a private hospital here claimed on Thursday. The patient, who is suffering from follicular lymphoma, a type of cancer which affects blood cells, tested positive for the viral infection on July 30.

 

Though he was initially discharged a week after hospitalization, he continued to test positive for the infection and had fever, said Dr Minish Jain, an oncologist at Ruby Hall Clinic, the hospital where he was treated.

 

"His cancer status had made him vulnerable to COVID- 19. During the one and half months when he was COVID-19 positive, we asked him to follow good diet, perform basic mobility exercises.

5:58 PM

Himachal Education Minister Govind Singh Thakur tests positive for Covid-19

5:45 PM

New study finds coronavirus infections rising rapidly in England

New coronavirus infections are rising by an estimated 96,000 cases daily across England, according to the findings of a new government-backed study released in London on Thursday. An interim report led by Imperial College London and Ipsos MORI, which includes swab tests on thousands of people taken between October 16 and 25, shows that the prevalence of infection has more than doubled since the last round of similar testing.

 

This means an estimated 128 people per 10,000 of England's population has the virus that causes COVID-19, compared to 60 as of October 5.

 

These interim findings paint a concerning picture of the situation in England, where we're seeing a nation-wide increase in infection prevalence, which we know will lead to more hospitalisations and loss of life, said Professor Paul Elliott, director of the programme at Imperial College London.