Web Live News

India COVID-19 Updates: India’s caseload has gone from 30 lakh to 40 lakh in just 13 days, faster than the United States and Brazil.

A record single-day spike of 86,432 cases has pushed India’s coronavirus tally past the 40-lakh mark, the Union Health Ministry data this morning showed. The total number of cases now stand at 40,23,179, which is about 70,000 cases behind Brazil, the world’s second worst affected nation after the United States. The South American country, which has reported 40,91,801 so far, has been showing initial signs of easing in the spread of the virus, news agency Reuters reported. India witnessed 1,089 Covid-related deaths during the 24-hour period taking the total death count to 69,561. About 31 lakh patients have recovered from the infection in the country, pushing the recovery rate to 77.2 per cent.

Here are the top 10 updates on coronavirus:

1. India is now the third country after the US and Brazil to record 40 lakh cases. The country’s caseload has gone from 30 lakh to 40 lakh in just 13 days, faster than the United States and Brazil.
2. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh are the five states which reported the highest number of cases in the last 24 hours. These five states account for over 62 percent of the active cases, according to the Health Ministry.
3. 15 districts across these states have been exhibiting higher active caseload, fatality rates, and a surge in COVID cases for the past four weeks. The Centre has now asked them to curb the chain of transmission and bring the mortality rate below 1 percent.
4. Every individual living in containment zones should be tested using rapid antigen testing (RAT) kits, top medical body – the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – has stressed in its new advisory. “If an individual develops symptoms following a negative RAT (Rapid antigen tests), and RT-PCR test should be done,” reads the nodal body’s new advisory.
5. Maharashtra reported its highest single-day spike of 19,218 new cases on Friday. The number of COVID-19 cases in the western state — which accounts for nearly a quarter of the new daily cases across the country — now stands at  8,63,062. The state government will launch a state-wide campaign to screen 2.25 crore families for possible COVID-19.
6. After a brief drop, Delhi has seen a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases over the last few days. The national capital on Friday reported 2,914 fresh infections, its highest one-day spike in 69 days. Delhi now has over 1.85 lakh cases, while the death count jumped to 4,513, authorities said.
7. In the northeast, Assam has been witnessing a rise in deaths among people who have been treated for coronavirus infection. State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that many who have been treated for COVID-19 went on to develop complications like fibrosis. Assam so far has reported over 1.19 lakh positive cases and over 300 deaths.
8. Punjab will no longer mark homes of coronavirus patients with warning posters, in a big change in the state’s SOPs linked to home isolation. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said the decision aims to minimize the stigma attached to the disease and the “trauma” that infected people felt because of the posters.
9. India’s Case Fatality Rate, which is at 1.73 percent, is lower than the global average and is constantly declining, according to the Health Ministry. It also said only 0.5 percent of COVID-19 patients are on ventilators, two percent of patients are in ICUs and less than 3.5 percent are on oxygen support.
10. Global coronavirus infections have soared past 2.57 crore as countries tighten restrictions to halt the health crisis that has upended life for most of humanity. Over 8.69 lakh people have died of the infection globally. The World Health Organization has said that it does not expect widespread vaccinations against COVID-19 until the middle of next year.