Coronavirus India Updates: Covid-19 Tally Tops 16.3 Lakh Cases With Over 55,000 New Ones

Confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country crossed the 16-lakh-mark just days after the central government announced further relaxations to open up the economy. The last one lakh cases were added in two days.

India added 55,078 fresh cases in 24 hours, taking the total tally to over 16.3 lakh, according to the Health Ministry’s 8 a.m. update on July 31. Over 10.5 lakh of these, however, have recovered. Nearly 36,000 have died.

Key Figures

• Total number of confirmed coronavirus cases: 16,38,870
• Active cases: 5,45,318
• Cured/discharged/migrated: 10,57,805
• Deaths: 35,747
• Number of fresh cases in 24 hours: 55,078
• One-day recoveries: 37,223
• One-day deaths: 779

This is the second straight day that India has reported over 50,000 fresh cases, with today’s being the highest addition of Covid-19 cases so far.

Despite the barrage of new cases, the government has removed restrictions on the movement of individuals outside containment areas at night. However, lockdown will continue to be strictly implemented in containment zones till Aug. 31. Gyms and yoga institutes will be allowed to open from Aug. 5.

In a press conference on Thursday, the Health Ministry iterated that herd immunity "cannot be a strategic choice or option" for the country, given its size of population. The question was posed to the ministry’s officials at a press briefing, days after a study showed than 57% of Mumbai’s slum population had antibodies present in their blood.

While new cases continued to pour in, recoveries also spiked today with over 37,000 cases being marked safe in the last 24 hours.

Global Update

California reported its second-deadliest day, Florida’s death toll remained at record levels and Arizona counted the most fatalities in a day after adding older data. France warned that its pace of infections is accelerating. Almost 10,000 people in the U.K. have been given an experimental Covid-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford. Johnson & Johnson wants to start Phase 3 trials of its vaccine in September.

Globally, confirmed Covid-19 cases have topped 17 million with over 668,000 dead.

Track news and developments around the Covid-19 outbreak in India here.

All religious places in Rajasthan will be allowed to open for public from Sept. 1 as a part of Covid-19 Unlock 3.0 guidelines announced on Thursday.

The Department of Home will release separate guidelines for religious places considering the Covid-19 situation, an official statement said.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has instructed all district collectors to start preparations to open religious places with social distancing and health protocols. Gehlot also asked gram panchayats to select ''Gram Rakshak'' in villages by Aug. 31.

The Chief Minister said these village guards will serve as a bridge between the police and the public to help in effective monitoring of the criminal activities and build public trust in police. Chief Minister on Thursday also reviewed the Unlock-3 guidelines and Covid-19 status in a meeting.

Gehlot said the death rate due to the Coronavirus infection in July has been less than one percent. He said saving lives of the people of the state from coronavirus has been a top priority of the government. The Chief Minister also said the secretary in-charge will go on a two-day tour from Aug. 31 to take stock of the situation to ensure better monitoring of the Covid-19 pandemic in districts.

Source: PTI

Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca repeated its promise not to profit from a Covid-19 vaccine during the pandemic as it reported it was on track with late-stage trials for the treatment.

Such promises were boosted by strong sales across its range of treatments during lockdown.

Sales jumped by 14% to $12.6 billion in the first six months of 2020 and were helped by strong trading in new medicines, as well as cancer and respiratory medication.

Despite the good earnings, CEO Pascal Soriot said he remained cautious amid the uncertainty of the pandemic. “If we have learned one thing with this virus, it is that it is unpredictable,'' he said. “And so we need to remain cautious.”

He said the company was on track to make 2 billion doses of the vaccine at a few dollars a dose. It also concluded three more deals for distribution - should the vaccine work.

Source: AP Via PTI