Coronavirus India Updates: India’s Covid-19 Tally Crosses 13-Lakh Mark; Shivraj Singh Chouhan Tests Positive

Confirmed coronavirus infections continued to mount in India with the country's total case tally climbing above the 13-lakh mark.

India added 48,916 fresh cases in 24 hours, taking the total tally to 13.36 lakh, according to the Health Ministry’s 8 a.m. update on July 24. Of these, more than 8.49 lakh have recovered.

Key Figures

• Total number of confirmed coronavirus cases: 13,36,861
• Active cases: 4,56,071
• Cured/discharged/migrated: 8,49,432
• Deaths: 31,358
• Number of fresh cases in 24 hours: 48,916
• One-day recoveries: 32,223
• One-day deaths: 757

The phase-I human clinical trial of India's first indigenously-developed vaccine against novel coronavirus, Covaxin, began at the AIIMS New Delhi on Friday with the first dose of the injection given to a man, who is in his 30s. More participants will be given the vaccine today.

Global Update:

Globally, cases had crossed 1.56 crore with over 6.38 lakh dead as of Saturday morning.

McDonald’s and Chipotle Mexican Grill joined the growing list of U.S. retailers requiring customers to wear face coverings in their outlets. California reported a second straight day of record deaths, while Florida’s Covid-19 hospitalizations hit a new high

In Latin America, Venezuela reported hundreds of new cases. And South Korea had 113 more infections, as some places in Asia that had seen success containing the virus battle a second wave.

Track updates around the Covid-19 outbreak in India here.

Serum Institute of India has sought permission from Drug Controller General of India to conduct human clinical trials for a covid vaccine being co-developed by Oxford University of the U.K. and Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc.

The Pune-based, Adar Poonawalla-led company has partnered with AstraZeneca for manufacturing the vaccine candidate in India. The vaccine has shown promising results in early human testing and is now set to move into larger trials.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that he has tested positive for coronavirus.

“I had symptoms of Covid-19. In the test report I was found positive. I appeal to all my colleagues that whoever has come in my contact to get tested for coronavirus. My close contacts should move to quarantine," Chouhan said in a tweet.

In another tweet, the chief minister said that if detected and treated on time, Covid-19 infection can be cured.

"I have been reviewing the status of coronavirus infection in the state every evening since March 25. Now I will try to review the situation through video conferencing as much as possible," he said.

Chouhan also said that in his absence, the meeting to review the coronavirus situation will be held by state Home Minister Narottam Mishra, Urban Development and Administration Minister Bhupendra Singh, Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang and Health Minister Prabhuram Choudhary.

(Source: PTI)

Maharashtra reported over 9,600 new cases in the last 24 hours, followed by Andhra Pradesh, which added over 8,100 cases.

Maharashtra’s total caseload crossed the 3.5 lakh mark, while Tamil Nadu inched toward the grim milestone of 2 lakh cases.

1,58,49,068 samples have been tested up to July 24, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research, with 4,20,898 samples being tested on Friday, the highest conducted in a day so far.

India reported over 45,000 new Covid-19 cases for the third day in a row, but the daily addition rate dipped from the record set on Friday.

Even as the rate of transmission of the novel coronavirus increases in India, the pace of recovery remained high. However, after reporting new record high recoveries for four days in a row, India’s recoveries dropped to 32,223 in the last 24 hours.