Coronavirus India Updates: India Surpasses China As Total Tally Tops 85,000 

India’s mounting coronavirus cases have overtaken China’s tally, making it the latest nation with more infections than the country where the pandemic began. And that’s just with two days remaining before an inevitable extension of the nationwide lockdown that has been imposed for almost two months now.

India added 3,970 fresh cases over 24 hours, taking the total tally to 85,940 in Asia’s third-largest economy, according to the health ministry’s update as of 8 a.m. on May 16. That compares with China’s total tally of 84,038.

India’s total confirmed cases include 30,153 people who’ve recovered and 2,752 deaths.

Over the last 24 hours, India has seen 103 deaths and 2,233 recoveries. Authorities have now reported more than 3,500 fresh cases for six straight days.

With cases on the rise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said there would be a third extension of the lockdown, albeit with easing of some restrictions. The revised lockdown guidelines are expected over the weekend.

Meanwhile, through the week, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced several measures under the Prime Minister’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’, a post-pandemic financial package to help revive the economy—that’s headed for its first full-year contraction in more than four decades.

Global Update

There have been more than 4.5 million coronavirus cases across the world, including 306,000 deaths.

U.S. cases increased 2 percent, above the week’s average, to 1.43 million, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg News. Deaths rose 2 percent to 86,744. New York, which has so far seen 132 deaths, is joining other Atlantic coast states in allowing beaches to reopen in time for the U.S. Memorial day holiday.

Italy had the fewest new coronavirus cases in four days as it prepares to let citizens move freely starting in June.

Researchers around the world are racing to develop vaccines to protect against the deadly coronavirus and allow countries to rebuild teetering economies. The World Health Organization, according to a Bloomberg report, is pushing a proposal that aims to ensure broad access to treatments and vaccines while offering an appropriate reward to creators.

Track all the news updates on the coronavirus situation in India here:

• On May 18, three markets will reopen — vegetable, grain and masala.
• On May 21, fruit and onion-potato markets will reopen.
• Limits are placed on number of people and vehicles that can enter the markets at a time.

(Source: Mumbai APMC)

Asia’s most crowded slum recorded 53 new cases of coronavirus today, taking the total tally to 1,198.

• The total confirmed cases in Dharavi include 53 deaths.

(Source: BMC)

The government-run All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Bhopal has been conducting drug trials for the treatment of coronavirus that yielded some good results, a senior official claimed on Saturday.

The trials of the drug Mycobacterium W were conducted on Covid-19 patients at AIIMS Bhopal. The trials were being run for the last few days and the results were good, as out of four patients enrolled for the trial, three had fully recovered and discharged, the director of the institute Dr. Sarman Singh told PTI.

If Mycobacterium W proves effective during the clinical trial, it will be used in the treatment of Covid-19, he said. Mycobacterium W was used in the treatment of leprosy and recently, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research tied up with Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd. to evaluate the effect of this medicine for faster recovery of hospitalised Covid-19 patients, Singh said.

The Drug Controller of India has granted permission to conduct tests on critically ill Covid-19 patients at three major hospitals in the country, including AIIMS Bhopal.

Singh also informed that soon Favipiravir, a drug used in Japan, will also be used for Covid-19 treatment.

(Source: PTI)

Rajasthan reported 91 fresh cases of coronavirus on Saturday, taking the infection tally in the state to 4,838, officials said.

A total of 91 fresh cases were reported on Saturday. A maximum of them, 55, are from Jaipur, including 48 from the district jail. Besides, 21 cases were reported from Dungarpur, nine from Udaipur, two from Sirohi and one each from Ajmer, Bharatpur, Jhunjhunu and Kota, PTI reported quoting officials.

The state has so far recorded 125 deaths due to the disease.

(Source: PTI)

Nine districts in Madhya Pradesh, which earlier reported cases of infection, have now become coronavirus-free, a state government official said.

During a meeting held on Friday to review the Covid-19 situation in the state, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Mohammed Suleman said the nine districts—Barwani, Agar-Malwa, Shajapur, Sheopur, Alirajpur, Harda, Shahdol, Tikamgarh and Betul—have become coronavirus-free.

Testing has been increased in the state, he said. So far, 93,849 samples have been tested.

According to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, a total of 10,000 buses have been deployed for transportation of migrants and as many as 77 special trains have arrived in state till Friday.

(Source: PTI)

Nearly 590 Indian nationals stranded in Maldives due to Covid-19-induced international travel restrictions were evacuated on Saturday from the island nation on an Indian Navy warship.

In its phase-2 of ‘Operation Samudra Setu’, INS Jalashwa left Male for Kochi with 588 Indian citizens, including 70 women, 21 children and 497 on board, on Saturday morning, a Defence source in Kochi told PTI. The ship is expected to arrive in Kochi on Sunday morning, he said.

On May 12, the vessel had successfully brought 698 Indian nationals from Maldives to Kochi. Another Navy Ship INS Magar had evacuated 202 Indian citizens from Maldives to Kochi on Tuesday.

(Source: PTI)

An assistant police inspector, who tested positive for Covid-19, succumbed to the infection at a civic-run hospital here on Saturday, an official said.

The 33-year-old officer attached to Shahu Nagar police station in Dharavi was found unconscious at his home in the early hours of the day and was rushed to civic-run Lokmanya Tilak Hospital in Sion, where he died, the official said.

A resident of Pratiksha Nagar in Sion, the officer had been on sick leave, as he suffered from cold and fever, he said. The deceased had undergone a swab test on Wednesday and his reports came out positive on Saturday, the official said.

This is the ninth Covid-19 death to be reported in the Mumbai police force.

(Source: PTI)

Indian-Americans holding ‘Overseas Citizens of India’ cards, mostly their parents, have voiced frustration over the Indian government’s recent decision to temporarily put in abeyance their long-term visa amid the coronavirus-linked global travel restrictions.

In many cases, in particular, the minors having OCI cards—issued to the people of Indian-origin, allowing them a visa-free travel in most of the cases—is creating a difficult situation for their parents who are still Indian citizens.

Of all the countries, the Indian diplomatic missions in the US issues the largest number of OCI cards. For instance, in 2019, Indian diplomatic missions in the US issued 90,000 OCI cards. OCI cards also gives them certain privileges like that of an Indian citizen except for buying agricultural land, voting, running for election and working in government.

Globally there are six million OCI card holders.

(Source: PTI)

The Bombay High Court directed the Maharashtra government and civic authorities to ensure that food and basic necessities reach the tribal community across the state amid the Covid-19 lockdown.

A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Amjad Sayed was hearing a petition filed by one Vivek Pandit highlighting the plight of tribals in the state during the lockdown, which was enforced to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The petitioner sought a direction to the government and civic authorities to provide essentials to tribals in Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Nashik, Dhule, Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Bhandara, Gondia, Nagpur, Yavatmal and Amravati districts.

(Source: PTI)

There are now 10 states with more than 100 recoveries...

...and five states with most deaths.

President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. will donate a lot of ventilators to India to help it fight the “invisible enemy”, moments after he underlined the close partnership between the two countries and called Prime Minister Narendra Modi his “good friend”.

The White House, however, didn’t say how many breathing devices would be sent.

“We are sending a lot of ventilators to India. I spoke to Prime Minister Modi. We are sending quite a few ventilators to India. We have tremendous supply of ventilators,” Trump said. “Together we will beat the invisible enemy! We stand with India and Prime Minister Modi during this pandemic.”

(Source: PTI)

Three out of seven Vasco residents, who returned from Kolkata, have tested positive for Covid-19.

A group of seven locals from Vasco city in South Goa had traveled to Kolkata on April 21 to deliver barges at Gangapur, which is a green zone, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said. “Swab samples of the three patients have been sent for a confirmatory test at Goa Medical College and Hospital, while the remaining four are under institutional quarantine,” he said.

Goa, earlier declared a green zone, has reported 15 positive cases since May 13.

(Source: PTI)

In her fourth press conference, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will address the media to give out further details of the Rs 20-lakh-crore economic package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 12.

So far, she had announced measures for MSMEs, non-bank lenders, salaried employees, power distribution companies, street vendors, real estate developers, middle-income homebuyers, agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, food processing and allied activities and migrant workers, among others.

Related Coverages

• Nirmala Sitharaman Announces Measures To Revive Covid-19-Battered Economy
• Nirmala Sitharaman Announces Measures For Farmers, Migrant Workers
• Finance Minister Announces Measures To Strengthen Agri Infrastructure

There are now seven states with more then 3,000 confirmed coronavirus cases.

U.S. President Donald Trump lauded Indian-Americans scientists and researchers for their efforts in developing medicines and vaccine for the the deadly coronavirus. Trump said the U.S. was closely working with India to tackle the pandemic.

This is the first time that a president has recognised the scientific and research talent of the Indian American community. A large number of scientists are engaged in cutting-edge research in various aspects of medical science, including at the National Institute of Health, universities, research institutes and bio-pharma startups.

There are an estimated 4 million Indian-Americans in the U.S., of which about 2.5 million are potential voters in the 2020 presidential elections this November.

(Source: PTI)

At least 24 migrant labourers lost their lives and 15 people sustained injuries when a trailer truck carrying them collided with a DCM vehicle in early hours of Saturday in Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh, police said.

A trailer truck carrying around 50 migrant labourers was coming from Rajasthan. “The DCM truck was coming from Delhi and heading towards Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh. The trailer truck hit the DCM vehicle. Both the vehicles turned upside down after losing control,” he said.

(Source: PTI)

Total confirmed coronavrius cases in India rose to 85,940 as of 8 a.m. today, according to the data made available by the Health Ministry. Of these, 3,970 new cases have been reported in the last 24 hours.

• Active cases: 53,035
• Cured/discharged/migrated: 30,153
• Deaths: 2,752

Authorities reported 2,233 recoveries and 103 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Source: Health Ministry (As on May 16, 8 a.m.)