Coronavirus India Updates: Tally Tops 18 Lakh; Amit Shah, Yediyurappa Test Positive

Covid-19 cases in India continue to rise at a hastened pace amid the third phase of reopening the economy.

India added over 52,000 fresh cases in a matter of 24 hours, taking the total tally to over 18 lakh in the world’s third-worst infected country, according to the Health Ministry’s update as of 8 a.m. on Aug. 3. This includes over 38,000 deaths and 11.8 lakh patients who have recovered.

India has added over 2.5 lakh cases in just five days. Monday’s fresh cases however, is the lowest in the last four days.

Key figures:

• Total number of confirmed coronavirus cases: 18,03,695
• Active cases: 5,79,357
• Cured/discharged/migrated: 11,86,203
• Deaths: 38,135
• Number of fresh cases in last 24 hours: 52,972
• One-day recoveries: 40,574
• One-day deaths: 771

The second-most populous nation with 1.3 billion people is only behind the U.S. and Brazil in the number of confirmed infections, with no sign of the virus curve flattening. India took 188 days since the first case was reported on Jan. 30 to reach 18 lakh cases. The pace of transmission is rising even as it has started to decelerate in some developed nations.

Global Update

Global coronavirus cases surpassed 18 million as the pandemic is now adding a million infections every four days, prompting more lockdowns.

Australia’s Victoria state tightened restrictions and declared a state of disaster, while the Philippines reimposed a lockdown in Manila. Boris Johnson is considering sealing off Greater London, according to news reports.

White House coronavirus task force head Deborah Birx said the pandemic is in a “new phase” as it spreads across U.S. rural and urban areas. The World Health Organization said it expects the Covid-19 pandemic to be of “lengthy duration.”

Track all Covid-19 related news developments in India, here.

The total number of tests for detection of Covid-19 has crossed the two-crore mark in India, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research data.

A cumulative total of 2,02,02,858 samples have been tested up to August 2 with 3,81,027 samples being tested on Sunday, the ICMR said.

The total number of tests for detection of Covid-19 had crossed the one-crore mark in India on July 6. There are now 1,348 testing labs in the country comprising 914 in the public sector and 434 private labs.

Having started with one single laboratory at the National Institute of Virology in Pune and then expanding to 100 laboratories around the beginning of the lockdown, the ICMR on June 23 validated the 1000th testing lab.

Source: PTI

The Drugs Controller General of India has given nod to the Serum Institute of India for conducting phase 2 and 3 human clinical trials of a Covid-19 vaccine candidate, developed by the University of Oxford, in the country.

Government officials told PTI that the approval for conducting phase 2 and 3 clinical trials by the SII was granted by DCGI Dr. VG Somani late Sunday night after a thorough evaluation based on the recommendations of the Subject Expert Committee on Covid-19.

As a rapid regulatory response, the expert panel at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation on Friday, after a detailed deliberation and considering the data generated on the vaccine candidate in phase 1 and 2 of the Oxford University trial, had recommended granting permission for phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the potential vaccine, 'Covishield', on healthy adults in India, the officials said.

Source: PTI

Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa and his daughter have both tested positive for the Covid-19 virus and the former has been moved into the Manipal Hospital today.

“He is doing well, is clinically stable and will be monitored closely by our team,” the hospital said.

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah took to the social media to inform he has tested positive for coronavirus and is getting hospitalised on the advice of doctors. "I have undergone a coronavirus test after showing initial symptoms and have tested positive. My health is fine but I am getting admitted to a hospital on the advice of doctors," the 55-year-old tweeted in Hindi.
• A registry of hospitalised Covid-19 patients across the country is being mooted to collect real time data which will help improve treatment outcomes, analyse trends in the progression of the pandemic and calibrate response. The ICMR in collaboration with the Health Ministry and the AIIMS is planning to set up the National Clinical Registry which will help researchers and policy makers understand effectiveness of investigational therapies, adverse effects taking place and generate evidence for improving the treatment of Covid-19 patients.
• Recoveries among Covid-19 patients in India crossed the 11 lakh-mark on Sunday with over 51,000 patients recuperating in a 24-hour span, the highest recorded so far, pushing the recovery rate to 65.44%, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.
• The new sero-prevalence survey in the national capital will exclude those who were part of the previous exercise and 25% of the fresh samples in all districts will be taken from persons aged 50 and above, according to a standard operating procedure prescribed for it.