Coronavirus News and Vaccine Updates: The Union Territory reported its highest spike of 481 new cases today, taking the total to 2,616
Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Updates: The Maharashtra government has reduced by Rs 300 the rates of COVID-19 tests conducted by laboratories, bringing them in the range of Rs 1,900 to Rs 2,500, said State Health Minister Rajesh Tope. "This decision was taken by the state-appointed committee to regulate the COVID-19 testing charges so that patients do not face any financial burden," the minister said.
Union minister of state in the AYUSH ministry Shripad Naik said he has tested positive for the coronavirus but would remain in home isolation as he is asymptomatic.
Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh in a Twitter post said his wife has tested positive for COVID-19 and he, along with his family, will go into self-isolation and take COVID-19 tests.
Delhi recorded 1,113 fresh coronavirus cases taking the caseload to over 1.48 lakh, while the toll rose to 4,153.
COVID-19 cases in India dipped below 55,000 in a single day on Tuesday after the country recorded over 60,000 cases daily for four days on the trot, according to the Union Health Ministry data.
With the fresh cases, India's COVID-19 tally rose to 22.68 lakh, while the recoveries have surged to 15,83,489, pushing the recovery rate to 69.80 per cent.
The total coronavirus cases in the country have increased to 22,68,675 with 53,601 infections being reported in a day, while the death toll climbed to 45,257 with 871 new fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The national recovery rate has risen to 69.80 percent due to effective and prompt clinical management of COVID-19 cases, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said.
"The case fatality rate has fallen below 2 percent for the first time since the first lockdown. It presently stands at 1.99 percent. It is continuously declining," Bhushan said.
On Tuesday, Urdu poet Rahat Indori, whose simple and lucid couplets attracted a huge fan folliwing in India and abroad, died while being treated for COVID-19.
Former president Pranab Mukherjee continues to remain critical and is on ventilator support, the Army's Research and Referral (R&R) Hospital said, a day after he underwent a brain surgery.
The 84-year-old was admitted to the military hospital around noon on Monday, and had also tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the surgery.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a video conference with chief ministers of ten states, noted that these states account for over 80 percent of active COVID-19 cases. He asserted if the virus is defeated in these states, then the country will also emerge victorious in its fight against the pandemic.
Poet Rahat Indori dies during COVID-19 treatment
Indori, who was being treated for COVID-19, died of a heart attack at a hospital in Indore, said his son Satlaj Indori, also a poet.
Indori, who recited couplets in very expressive style, was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday morning after he tested positive for the disease.
"He was admitted for coronavirus treatment but died after suffering a heart attack," Satlaj Indori told PTI.
Indore District Collector Manish Singh said he was undergoing treatment at Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences.
In the morning, the lyricist-poet tweeted about his confirmed COVID-19 report and said he will keep everyone updated through social media.
"After initial symptoms of COVID-19, my coronavirus test was done yesterday which came out positive. Pray that I defeat this disease as soon as possible," Indori said in his last post.
Pranab Mukherjee on ventilator support
"Former President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee was admitted to Army Hospital (R&R) in Delhi Cantonment at 1207 hours on 10 August, 2020 in a critical condition. Workup at the hospital revealed a large brain clot for which he underwent emergency life saving surgery. Post surgery he continues to remain critical on ventilatory support," the hospital said in a medical bulletin.
A multidisciplinary team of doctors is constantly monitoring the health of the former president.
Mukherjee tweeted on Monday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and urged people who had come in contact with him in the last week to isolate themselves and get tested for the novel coronavirus.
Soon after the news of his hospitalisation, wishes poured in from various quarters for his early recovery and a number of leaders sent their wishes on Twitter.
President Ram Nath Kovind also spoke to Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee and inquired about his health on Monday evening.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the R&R Hospital on Monday and inquired about the former president's health. Singh was at the hospital for around 20 minutes.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also sent in his best wishes to the former president and wished him early recovery.
Modi stresses on early detection of cases
At a video conference with chief ministers of ten states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, Modi said the recovery rate has gone up which, he added, meant that government efforts have proved to be effective.
The Centre and states have been able to work as a team in the fight against COVID-19, he said.
"Our experience so far is that containment, contact tracing and surveillance are the most effective weapons against the pandemic with experts of the view that if positive cases are identified within 72 hours of onset, then infection slows down to great extent," the prime minister said.
Modi said it was a matter of satisfaction that the average fatality rate in India has been going down and noted that it has been very low compared to the world average.
Chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh were invited for the virtual meet.
Railways suspends all regular passenger services indefinitely
The Railways has stated that all regular passenger train services will remain suspended till further notice, but 230 special trains will continue to be in service.
“This is to bring to the notice of all concerned that as decided and informed earlier as well, regular passenger and suburban train services will continue to remain suspended till further notice," a statement from the Railways said.
“It may be noted that 230 Special Trains, which are running at present, will continue to operate. Local trains in Mumbai, which are presently being run on limited basis only on the requisition of state government, will also continue to run,” it said.
The occupancy of special trains is being monitored on a regular basis and additional special trains may be run based on the requirement, the national carrier said.
However, all other regular trains and suburban trains run before the lockdown will remain suspended for the time being, it said.
All special trains — 12 pairs running on the Rajdhani routes since 12 May and 100 pairs operating since 1 June — will continue.
The limited special suburban services which began recently in Mumbai to ferry essential services personnel identified by the local authorities will also continue to run, officials said.
Earlier, the national transporter had suspended all services till 12 August.
Russia has developed world's first vaccine, says Putin
President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday announced that Russia has developed the world's first vaccine against COVID-19 that works "quite effectively" and forms a "stable immunity" against the disease as he disclosed that one of his daughters has already been vaccinated.
"A vaccine against coronavirus has been registered for the first time in the world this morning," Putin said during a meeting with members of his government.
"I know that it works quite effectively, it forms a stable immunity," the official Tass news agency quoted Putin as saying.
Putin's claim has come amidst concerns raised by experts about the speed of Russia's work, suggesting that researchers might be cutting corners.
Amid fears that safety could have been compromised, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged Russia last week to follow international guidelines for producing a vaccine against COVID-19, the BBC reported.
The Russian vaccine is not among the WHO's list of six vaccines that have reached phase three clinical trials, which involve more widespread testing in humans, the report noted.
State-wise cases and deaths
According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 2,45,83,558 samples have been tested up to August 9, with 4,77,023 samples being tested on Monday.
Of the 871 fresh deaths reported, 293 are from Maharashtra, 114 each from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, 80 from Andhra Pradesh, 51 from Uttar Pradesh, 41 from West Bengal, 20 each from Delhi and Gujarat, 19 from Madhya Pradesh, 18 from Punjab, 14 from Odisha, 11 each from Jharkhand and Rajasthan.
Ten fatalities have been reported from Bihar, nine from Uttarakhand, eight from Telangana, seven from Kerala, six each from Assam, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, five from Goa, three from Chhattisgarh, two each from Himachal Pradesh and Puducherry while Tripura has registered one fatality.
Of the total 45,257 deaths, Maharashtra has reported the maximum at 18,050 followed by 5,041 in Tamil Nadu, 4,131 in Delhi, 3,312 in Karnataka, 2,672 in Gujarat, 2,120 in Uttar Pradesh, 2,116 in Andhra Pradesh, 2,100 in West Bengal and 1,015 in Madhya Pradesh.
So far, 800 people have died of COVID-19 in Rajasthan, 645 in Telangana, 604 in Punjab, 489 in Haryana, 478 in Jammu and Kashmir, 397 in Bihar, 286 in Odisha, 188 in Jharkhand, 151 in Assam, 134 in Uttarakhand and 115 in Kerala.
Chhattisgarh has registered 99 deaths, Puducherry 89, Goa 80, Tripura 43, Chandigarh 25, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 20, Himachal Pradesh 17, Manipur 11, Ladakh nine, Nagaland eight, Meghalaya six, Arunachal Pradesh three, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu two and Sikkim one.
