Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates: With over 2.46 lakh confirmed cases, India surpasses Spain's tally to become 5th worst-hit country

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08:02 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update

India becomes fifth worst-hit country by COVID-19

The cases in India rose to 2,46,622 on Sunday, making it the fifth worst-hit country by the coronavirus pandemic, according to John Hopkins University data. It left behind Spain and Italy and is now behind US, Brazil, Russia and United Kingdom.

07:51 (IST)

Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Update

Kochi convention centre converted into COVID-19 facility

Adlux Convention Centre at Angamaly in Kochi has been converted into a 200-bed COVID-19 care centre, in the wake of an increase in the number of cases in the state. The centre will start functioning from next week, ANI reported.

1,699 confirmed cases have been reported in Kerala so far.

Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: The cases in India rose to 2,46,622 on Sunday, making it the fifth worst-hit country by the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which releases India's official figures everyday at 8 am, on Saturday, the country recorded a spike of 9,887 cases and 294 deaths in 24 hours since 8 am Friday, taking the total cases to 2,36,657 cases and toll from the virus to 6,642.

As per official figures, India is the sixth-worst affected country by COVID-19 after the US, Brazil, Russia, Spain and the UK, however, an unofficial tally put the total number of infections in the country at over 2.45 lakhs, surpassing Spain in less than 24 hours after it raced ahead of Italy.

Spain so far has recorded 2,41,310 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

Represenational Image. AP

Represenational Image. AP

A total of 1,14,073 people have been cured so far, with 4,611 recoveries recorded in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said.

"Thus, around 48.20 percent patients have recovered so far," a senior health ministry official said.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in the country stands at 1,15,942.

The health ministry said cumulatively 45,24,317 samples have been tested so far with 1,37,938 samples tested in the last 24 hours.

Of the total 6,642 fatalities, Maharashtra tops tally with 2,849 deaths followed by Gujarat with 1,190 deaths, Delhi with 708, Madhya Pradesh with 384, West Bengal with 366, Uttar Pradesh with 257, Tamil Nadu with 232, Rajasthan with 218, Telangana with 113 and Andhra Pradesh with 73 deaths.

According to the ministry's website, more than 70 percent of the deaths are due to comorbidities.

The health ministry data updated on Saturday morning also stated that the highest number of confirmed cases in the country are from Maharashtra at 80,229, followed by Tamil Nadu at 28,694, Delhi at 26,334, Gujarat at 19,094, Rajasthan at 10,084, Uttar Pradesh at 9,733 and Madhya Pradesh at 8,996 cases.

"A total of 8,192 cases are being reassigned to states," the ministry said on its website, adding "our figures are being reconciled with the ICMR."

Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra see spike in cases

Meanwhile, even as some states and Union Territories prepared to open religious places, hotels and restaurants under phase-1 of the Unlock plan announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs, COVID-19 infections and fatalities continued to rise.

In Tamil Nadu, 19 more succumbed to the viral infection pushing the total number of COVID-19 casualties in the state to 251. The state also reported 1,458 new cases — of which 1,146 were detected in Chennai—taking the overall case count to 30,152. This is the seventh consecutive day the state is witnessing more than 1000 cases.

The number of active cases in state stands at 13,501 as over 16,000 persons have recovered from the disease.

Odisha reported its highest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases after 173 more people tested positive for the disease, taking the total tally in the state to 2,781. Of the 173 new cases, 150 were in quarantine centres, where people returning from different states are staying. Twenty-three others were detected with the infection during contact-tracing exercises, a health department official said.

Uttar Pradesh registered 370 fresh cases on Saturday, taking the number of confirmed cases to 10,103 even as the number of casualties rose to 268, with 11 fatalities. Principal secretary, health, Amit Mohan Prasad said the number of active cases in the state was 3,927 and the number of those who have recovered and been discharged from hospitals was 5,908.

Prasad stressed on maintaining utmost vigil during the month of June saying it was most crucial since the migrants and others were returning to the state and there is a need to remain alert for checking the spread of the virus.

The COVID-19 case count in Kerala climbed to 1,807 after 108 more tested positive and one more person died of the viral infection. Former Santosh Trophy footballer E Hamsakoya (61), who had returned from Mumbai, and tested positive, succumbed to the virus on Saturday. Five members of his family, including two grandchildren, have tested positive and are under treatment.

Of the fresh cases, 64 had come from abroad and 34 from other states, including Maharashtra (15), Delhi (8) and Tamil Nadu (5) while ten people were infected through contact, said a release issued by the state health department.

Goa, too, recorded a rise as 71 new infections took the COVID-19 case count in the state to 267, including 202 active cases. Earlier in the day, state health minister Vishwajit Rane had attributed the rise in cases to the situation in Vasco's Mangor Hill area, which has been declared a containment zone.

"The spike in cases in Goa is due to cases from Mangor Hill, which are a result of local transmission and not community transmission. The Goa government is ready to face any situation to ensure the safety of its people," PTI quoted the minister as saying.

Maharashtra, the worst-affected state, recorded 2,739 new cases and 120. Total number of positive cases in the state is now 82,968, including 37,390 discharges and 2969 deaths, ANI quoted the state health department as saying.

No trial of clothes in Punjab shopping malls

The Punjab government issued guidelines ahead of the re-opening of malls, religious places in the state from 8 June, even as the state registered 435 cases and 17 deaths, taking the total number of cases to 7738 and toll to 311.

According to guidelines trial of clothing shall not be allowed in shopping malls, while places of worship will remain open 5 am and 8 pm but will be barred from distributing 'prasad'.  The maximum number of persons at the time of worship shall not exceed 20 with due distancing. The fresh guidelines also provide for a token-based entry to malls and make it mandatory for mall visitors to have 'COVA' app on their phones.

The Haryana government has decided to allow reopening of places of worship and shopping malls for public in a regulated manner across the state from 8 June, except in Gurgaon and Faridabad districts worst-hit by COVID-19, according to a statement issued on Saturday.

Apart from this, hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services would be reopened with generic preventive measures across the state. The timing of opening for all would be between 9 am and 8 pm to ensure compliance of night curfew between 9 pm and 5 am, it said.

According to News 18, Uttar Pradesh also allowed the re-opening of religious places with the prior approval of the district administration. According to the guidelines issued by the state government, not more than five devotees at a time will be allowed inside a temple at a time.

Delhi govt prohibits hospitals from turning away COVID-19 suspects

In Delhi, which has reported over 26,ooo cases and 700 deaths, the Arvind Kejriwal-led state government issued orders prohibiting hospitals from turning away suspected COVID-19 patients.

The order comes on the back of family members of COVID-19 patients alleging that they were denied entry by hospitals.

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal had warned of strong action against some private hospitals allegedly refusing admission to COVID-19 patients and involving in "black-marketing" of beds.  Most of the private hospitals in Delhi are good but some of them are demanding money for beds which is nothing but "black-marketing", Kejriwal said.

The Delhi government will depute medical professionals at all hospitals who will update availability of beds for coronavirus patients at an official app and ensure admission of such patients, he said.

The chief minister also rubbished claims that COVID-19 tests have been stopped in Delhi, and asserted that the number of tests conducted in the city is the highest in the country. He, however, said the testing capacity is limited and it will be overwhelmed if everyone went for the test, adding that asymptomatic persons should not go for it.

Meanwhile, a five-member panel set up by the AAP government suggested that the health infrastructure of the city should be used only for treating residents of the National Capital, in view of the raging COVID-19 crisis, sources told PTI.

The panel, headed by Indraprastha University vice-chancellor Dr Mahesh Verma, has submitted its report to the government in which it has said that if Delhi health infrastructure is open for non-residents, all beds will be occupied within just three days, according to the sources.

The state government also registered a complaint against Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, a private hospital designated for the treatment of COVID-19 patients for allegedly violating COVID-19 regulation norms as specified under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government on Saturday capped the charges in private hospitals for COVID-19 treatment at Rs 15,000 per day in ICUs, in general ward the maximum is Rs 7,500.

With inputs from agencies



from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2MNTFXv
FP Staff

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