Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates: First batch of 326 Indians stranded in UK arrives in Mumbai's international airport from London
08:29 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update
IMAGES: Indians stranded in Uzbekistan prepare to leave for New Delhi
Indians stranded in Uzbekistan due to COVID-19 outbreak, leaving for New Delhi under Vande Bharat Mission special mission prepare for take off. Thermal checks being performed by the Indian Embassy officials in Tashkent, Santosh Jha, Ambassador of India to Uzbekistan told ANI.
Indians stranded in Uzbekistan due to #COVID19 leaving for New Delhi under #VandeBharatMission. Thermal checks being performed by the Indian Embassy officials in Tashkent: Santosh Jha, Ambassador of India to Uzbekistan pic.twitter.com/3RnrWA0KD0
— ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2020
08:21 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in US Latest Update
US approves new coronavirus antigen test with fast results
US regulators have approved a new type of coronavirus test that administration officials have promoted as a key to opening up the country, reports The Associated Press.
The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday announced emergency authorization for antigen tests developed by Quidel Corporation of San Diego. The test can rapidly detect fragments of virus proteins in samples collected from swabs swiped inside the nasal cavity, the FDA said in a statement.
The antigen test is the third type of test to be authorized by the FDA.
08:15 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Update
Mumbai Police pays tribute to cop who died of COVID-19 on Twitter
The Mumbai Police on Sunday paid tribute to assistant sub-inspector (ASI) attached to Vinoba Bhave Nagar police station who died of the coronavirus disease COVID-19 on Friday.
The samples of an assistant sub-inspector attached to Vinoba Bhave Nagar police station in Mumbai who died on Friday have tested positive for novel
coronavirus, PTI quotes officials as saying.
He died in the early hours of Friday after being admitted in a civic hospital on Wednesday with COVID-19-likesymptoms, an official said.
Mumbai Police regrets to inform about the unfortunate demise of ASI Sunil Dattatray Kalgutkar from Vinoba Bhave Nagar Police Station. ASI Kalgutkar had been battling Coronavirus.
— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) May 9, 2020
We pray for his soul to rest in peace. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kalgutkar family.
08:10 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Assam Latest Update
Not testing samples of 16-yr-old girl who died of COVID-19 was 'a mistake', says Himanta Biswa Sarma
Doctors at the government-run ESIC Hospital here committed a "mistake" by not testing samples of a 16-year-old girl, who later died of Covid-19, Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday.
The girl breathed her last on Thursday at the B Barooah Cancer Institute. Her samples, which were taken after her death, tested positive for coronavirus infection/
"The girl first went to ESIC Hospital with all symptoms like fever and pain in legs. It was a mistake by doctors that her samples were not sent for testing... It is a matter of concern," Sarma told reporters.
08:05 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Update
Delhi school teacher involved in distributing ration tests positive for COVID-19
A teacher of a civic body-run school, who was involved in distributing ration during the lockdown, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, officials said on Saturday. The teacher was posted at a primary school in Wazirabad under the North Delhi Municipal Corporation.
The teacher had last come to school on April 28 and started showing COVID-19 symptoms from 2 May. His test report came on Friday, an official of North Delhi Municipal Corporation said.
"We traced his six primary contacts and they have been sent into quarantine. Since they are completely asymptomatic, no test has been done yet," he said, adding the school building has been sanitised.
07:57 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Pakistan Latest Update
Pakistan eases nationwide lockdown even as COVID-19 cases rise
Pakistan on Saturday began easing the month-long lockdown despite a steady rise in the number of coronavirus cases which has now crossed the 28,000-mark with 618 deaths.
Doctors have warned against easing restrictions. The Representative of Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has demanded that the government observe World Health Organisation protocols and implement strict lockdown.
"We think the number will definitely spike. According to our information, there are five hospitals in Karachi that have a total of 63 beds reserved for coronavirus patients. If this is the condition in a city like Karachi, then you can imagine what it is like in other cities of Pakistan," said Dr Ikram Tunio of the PMA in a press conference in Karachi.
07:47 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update
First batch of 326 Indians stranded in UK arrives in Mumbai
The first batch of 326 Indian nationals stranded in the UK due to the coronavirus-linked global travel restrictions arrived here from London early on Sunday morning.
The special evacuation flight AI 130, a Boeing 777 plane which departed from London on Saturday, landed at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) at around 1.30 AM with 326 Indians, according to a source.
The airport authorities, in a statement on Saturday, said that the arriving passengers with symptoms will be moved to isolation centres.
Asymptomatic passengers residing in Mumbai will be moved to quarantine facilities like hotels, while those from outside of the city will be transported by the state to their respective district headquarters, it said
Maharashtra: A special flight carrying Indian nationals from London, arrived at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai tonight. #VandeBharatMission pic.twitter.com/2VhXl72Y4r
— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2020
07:41 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update
CRPF reports 62 new cases on Saturday
As many as 62 more personnel of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been infected with coronavirus on Saturday.
"With 62 new COVID-19 cases, the total number of coronavirus cases reported from CRPF is 234, of which 231 are active cases," according to an official statement issued by the CRPF.
Meanwhile, 35 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday, taking the total count of cases in the force over 250.
07:35 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update
Air India flight with 163 Indians from Kuwait lands at Hyderabad airport
An Air India flight with 163 Indians landed at the Hyderabad international airport from Kuwait on Saturday night as part of the government's Vande Bharat Mission to bring home Indian nationals stranded abroad, airport sources said. The AI flight 988 landed at the airport shortly after 10 pm, the sources said.
To facilitate the arriving passengers and aircraft crew, the Hyderabad International Airport has kept the international arrivals and the stretch right from the aerobridge to the arrivals ramp fully sanitized and fumigated, the sources said.
07:33 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Odisha Latest Update
Odisha registers 58 new cases, taking total to 352
Odisha on Sunday reported 58 more COVID-19 cases. The total number of cases in the state is now at 352, including 281 active cases, 68 cured/recovered & 3 deaths, according to the latest date by the state health department, reports ANI
07:31 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update
First Air India repatriation flight takes off from US with 224 Indians
Around 224 Indians stranded in the US due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown boarded the first repatriation flight from San Francisco to Mumbai and Hyderabad on Saturday.
In the first phase of the US-India segment of the 'Operation Vande Bharat- A homecoming', flights have been planned from San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Washington DC to New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Bengaluru.
As many as 1,961 Indians are likely to be repatriated through seven flights from the four cities in the first phase, officials said.
07:20 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update
Total COVID-19 cases in India now at 59,662 with nearly 2,000 deaths
The nationwide tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 59,662 on Saturday and the death toll rose to 1,981 with the country registering an increase of 95 deaths and 3,320 cases in 24 hours till Saturday morning, the Union Health Ministry said even as fresh infections among central armed police forces, and the repatriated Indians raised new concerns among experts.
The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 39,834, while 17,846 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, the Union Health Ministry said.
Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: The first batch of 326 Indian nationals stranded in the UK due to the coronavirus-linked global travel restrictions arrived here from London early on Sunday morning. The special evacuation flight AI 130, a Boeing 777 plane which departed from London on Saturday, landed at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) at around 1.30 AM with 326 Indians, according to PTI source.
The nationwide tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 59,662 on Saturday and the death toll rose to 1,981 with the country registering an increase of 95 deaths and 3,320 cases in 24 hours till Saturday morning, the Union Health Ministry said even as fresh infections among central armed police forces, and the repatriated Indians raised new concerns among experts.
The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 39,834, while 17,846 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, the Union Health Ministry said.
Saturday also saw Maharashtra crossing the 20,000 mark, as per official figures released by the state health department, with the state now accounting for one-third of the total confirmed cases in the country, while large numbers of cases continued to get detected in Gujarat, Delhi and Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, the Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said the testing capacity for COVID-19 has been ramped up to around 95,000 tests per day and a total of over 15 lakh tests have been conducted so far across hundreds of government and private labs.
However, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the two new cases in his state -- two foreign returnees who had reached Kerala on 7 May in two separate flights under a massive ongoing evacuation plan of the Central Government -- is a warning for all states to be on an alert to strengthen their "mitigation efforts and preventive measures."
Many more similar flights from abroad are reaching Kerala and several other states over the next few days under what is being called the 'Vande Bharat' mission.
Besides the arrival of a large number of Indians stranded abroad, experts have also warned that the numbers may rise further in the coming days due to the ongoing movement of lakhs of migrant workers being facilitated by trains and buses to help them reach their native places.
On Saturday, the situation remained worrying in India's major hotspots like Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Chennai, among others. While Mumbai cases reached 12,864 cases, with the metropolis now accounting for more than of Maharashtra's total infections, the adjoining Thane district crossed the 2000-mark.
In Chennai, the number of cases linked to the Koyambedu market cluster reached 1,867 with the market for vegetables, flowers and fruits eclipsing the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi (in which about 1,500 people from Tamil Nadu had taken part in March) for the dispersion of the virus.
Besides, reports of fresh infections in the Central Armed Police Forces, which is responsible for providing security along the border as well as securing key industries and establishments, presenting a fresh challenge for the Central Government.
Goa, on the other hand, which is classified as a green zone with no coronavirus positive case as of now, hinted that it may allow holding of music classes and reopening of some state-run libraries in a phased manner on the condition of maintaining strict social distancing norms.
Cases from states: Maharashtra crosses 20,000 mark
On Saturday, Maharashtra reported 1,165 new coronavirus patients, taking the tally of COVID-19 cases in the state to 20,228. The state also reported death of 48 patients, taking the death toll to 779, said a health department official.
Among those died of COVID-19 on Saturday was a 51-year-old police constable from Maharashtra's Nashik district, an official said.
This is the sixth death of a police personnel due to COVID-19 in the state, the official added.
Meanwhile, in Gujarat, the number of coronavirus cases in Gujarat climbed to 7,797 on Saturday with 394 new cases coming to light, while death toll rose to 472 with 23 more deaths, a senior health official said.
Of the total new cases, 280 were reported from hotspot Ahmedabad, along with 20 more deaths on Saturday, taking the total case count to 5,540 in the district and fatalities to 363, a health department official said.
In Gujarat, the number of patients who died in 24 hours since Friday evening — 23 — was the lowest in the last seven days, Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi said.
Four COVID-19 deaths were reported in Tamil Nadu on Saturday with the state recording 526 more positive cases, including a five day old baby, taking the total number to 6,535, the health department said.
The deceased were all women, with three hailing from Chennai and one from Ramanathapuram. With this, the death toll has gone up to 44, a health department bulletin said.
Of the total of 526 positive cases, Chennai continued to lead the numbers with 279, followed by Villupuram 67 and Chengalpattu at 40.
In the National Capital Delhi also, 224 new COVID-19 cases were recorded to take its tally to 6,542.
In Delhi, there was also confusion over the death toll as the data from the four hospitals showed more fatalities than the number reported by the Delhi government. Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said there is no reason to hide anything and not a single case will go unaccounted for, but gave no explanation for the discrepancy.
There has been a mismatch in the numbers of West Bengal also for several days with the state government's figures being lower than that of the Union Health Ministry.
On the outskirts of the National Capital, Noida reported its second COVID-19 death while its total cases rose to 216. The overall figure for Uttar Pradesh also rose.
Rajasthan recorded 76 more cases, while 36 new cases were detected in Karnataka too.
In Bihar, five Bihar Military Police (BMP) personnel tested positive, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state to 579. In Assam, a dental college student's test came positive.
Central forces report 116 new cases
The growing number of infections in five Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) - CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF and SSB - under the command of the Union home ministry, has emerged as another challenge for the Central Government.
On Saturday, at least 116 fresh coronavirus infections were reported by the uniformed organisation, taking the total number of positive personnel to over 650, officials said.
Of the new cases, CRPF accounts for 62, BSF 35, CISF 13 and ITBP reported 6 fresh cases. As of now, the total active cases in these forces stands at 231 in CRPF, 256 in BSF, 48 in CISF and 100 in the ITBP.
Five personnel of these forces have succumbed to the disease, a senior paramilitary officer said.
After home minister Shah's review, the AIIMS in Jhajjar has been designated as a special coronavirus facility for the CAPF personnel apart from their 200-bedded referral hospital in Greater Noida.
Health ministry revises policy for discharge
The Union Health Ministry has also revised its policy for discharge of COVID-19 patients under which only those developing severe illness or having compromised immunity will have to test negative through RT-PCR test before being discharged by a hospital.
Moderate cases of COVID-19 and pre-symptomatic, mild and very mild cases need not undergo tests before being discharged after resolution of their symptoms.
According to the rules till now, a patient was considered fit to be discharged if he or she tested negative on day 14 and then again in a span of 24 hours.
Political tussle over migrant trains continue
The bodies of sixteen migrant labourers who were mown down by a goods train in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district were brought to Jabalpur by two bogies attached to a special train.
From Jabalpur, the coaches were further sent to Shahdol and Umaria, said a police officer.
Karnataka, which has been at the centre of a controversy over the state government disallowing migrants to leave the state, clarified on Saturday that migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons can hire and use buses provided by state-run road transport corporations on payment basis for travel to other states with relevant permissions.
However, the political tussle over special trains for stranded migrant lbourers continued on Saturday with Union home minister Amit Shah, in a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the state was not allowing trains with migrant workers reach the state and termed it as an "injustice" towards these workers.
The state government, however, dismissed the charge by saying 6,000 stranded workers have already been brought back, and the state has given green signal to 10 trains carrying more such workers.
This claim was rejected by Indian Railways with officials too saying that there was no proposal on record so far with the national transporter to run any more 'shramik' trains to the state. According to reports, so far only two trains ferrying migrants have reached West Bengal.
The railways, however, on Saturday night said it had received "clearance" from West Bengal for running eight special trains to the state to ferry people stranded outside due to the ongoing lockdown.
On Saturday, a war of words also erupted between the JD(U) and the AAP over train fares of 1,200 Bihar-bound migrant workers, with the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation saying that it bore the cost of ferrying the migrants, a claim rejected by the JD(U) which said the party was speaking half-truth on the issue.
The ruling Janata Dal (United) in Bihar said the AAP-led Delhi government has sought reimbursement of the payment and accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of resorting to "cheap politics to gain popularity".
Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawaron Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak to the chief ministers of states, who are not allowing migrants to return home.
"I humbly request our @PMOIndia Shri Narendra Modi ji to intervene in this matter by talking to the CMs of the respective states who are not allowing these people to come back home," Pawar said in a series of tweets without mentioning any specific state.
362 people from West Asia arrive in Kochi
As for Indians stranded abroad, two Air India Express flights carrying 362 people from Oman and Kuwait arrived at the international airport in Kochi on Saturday night.
There were a total of 362 people, including eight infants in the flights which landed here from the two Gulf nations, a Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) spokesman said.
Official sources said all the passengers would be subjected to COVID-19 rapid test at the airport before being transferred to their respective destinations by special taxis and KSRTC buses.
They will go into quarantine after completing formalities at the airport.
Another Air India Express flight from Doha, carrying 177 passengers and six infants, is expected to arrive here early hours on Sunday, sources said.
Another special Air India flight carrying 177 Indians has left Kula Lumpur for Trichy, Tamil Nadu, ANI said.
According to sources, three other Air India flights - from Singapore (with 243 passengers), from London with (329 passengers) and from Manila (241 passengers) are expected to reach Mumbai on Sunday.
Globally, nearly 40 lakh people have tested positive for the deadly virus since its emergence in China last December, while approximately 2.75 lakh people have lost their lives. However, nearly 13 lakh people have recovered too, including nearly 2 lakh in the US and over 1.4 lakh in Germany.
Germany and South Korea are among those countries that have been seen as having successfully avoided large number of deaths by their extensive testing and contact tracing measures. But, worries mounted on Saturday about fresh outbreaks in both the countries following various lockdown relaxations, thus raising the risks associated with reopening of economies.
With inputs from agencies
from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/3bcVdUA
FP Staff
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