Coronavirus India Updates: Tally Tops 19.6 Lakh; Over 40,000 Dead
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Covid-19 cases in India continue to rise at a hastened pace amid the third phase of reopening the economy.
India added over 56,000 fresh cases in a matter of 24 hours, taking the total tally to over 19.6 lakh in the world’s third-worst infected country, according to the Health Ministry’s update as of 8 a.m. on Aug. 6. This includes over 40,600 deaths and 13.2 lakh patients who have recovered.
India has added over 4 lakh cases in just eight days. With 56,282 cases, today’s fresh cases are the second highest the country has seen so far.
Key figures:
- Total number of confirmed coronavirus cases: 19,64,536
- Active cases: 5,95,501
- Cured/discharged/migrated: 13,28,336
- Deaths: 40,699
- Number of fresh cases in last 24 hours: 56,282
- One-day recoveries: 46,121
- One-day deaths: 904
India is doing 15,119 tests per million, the Health Ministry said in a briefing on Tuesday. It also claimed that India’s fatality rate, at 2.10%, is at its lowest since the pandemic hit the country. More than 6.6 lakh samples were tested on Aug. 5
Recoveries are also on the rise. There are over two recovered patients for each patient who currently has the virus. This, however, does not necessarily count as a sign of relief or an indication that the country has hit its peak.
Global Update
California had its second-deadliest day in the pandemic and Florida’s case count topped 500,000. Texas’s test positivity rate reached a three-week high. New York City is setting up checkpoints at key entry areas to enforce state quarantine rules for travelers.
Johnson & Johnson will supply 100 million doses of its experimental Covid-19 vaccine to the U.S. The U.K. agreed to invest $18 million in a Scottish vaccine-manufacturing plant, while Moderna Inc. said it has received $400 million of deposits for its potential Covid-19 shot.
Over 18.6 million cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed globally with more than 702,000 dead.
Track all Covid-19 related news developments in India, here.
Indian Medical Association Suggests 250-Bed Covid-19 Treatment Facility At Goa Medical College And Hospital
Considering the rise in cases of coronavirus in Goa, the Indian Medical Association has suggested that the state government set up a 250-bed Covid-19 block at Goa Medical College and Hospital, an official said on Thursday.
IMA Goa president Dr. S Samuel also suggested that ESI Hospital, the designated Covid-19 hospital in the coastal state, be converted into a care centre with oxygen facility.
The state government must seriously consider setting up a 250-bed Covid-19 hospital block at the GMCH, he said. "This will not only help in good management logistically, but it will also not split the workforce, which is extremely important at a time when there is a scarcity of experts," he said.
ESI Hospital in Margao can be converted into a Covid- 19 care centre with oxygen facilities to treat patients with moderate symptoms and co-morbidities, which can be managed by doctors under health services, the IMA Goa chief added.
Source: PTI
Centre Releases Rs 890 Crore As Second Tranche Of Covid-19 Package For Healthcare
The Centre has released Rs 890.32 crore as the second installment of the Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness package to 22 states and Union Territories, the Health Ministry said on Thursday.
The amount of financial assistance to each state and Union Territories is based on their Covid-19 caseload.
Those who received financial assistance in the second instalment include Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and Sikkim, the ministry said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the Rs 15,000 crore package as part of the 'Whole of Government' approach wherein the Centre is leading the Covid-19 response and management, and supporting the states and UTs through technical and financial resources.
The second installment of the aid will be used to strengthen public health infrastructure for testing, including procurement and installation of RT-PCR machines, RNA extraction kits, TrueNat and CB-NAAT machines, bolster infrastructure for treatment and development of ICU beds, installation of oxygen generators and procurement of bedside oxygen concentrators among others.
It would also be used for engagement, training and capacity building of necessary human resources and incentives to healthcare workforce and volunteers, including ASHA workers on Covid-19 duties, the health ministry said, adding that wherever necessary, volunteers registered on the Covid Warriors portal may also be engaged in coronavirus duties.
Source: PTI
Over 6.6 Lakh Covid-19 Samples Tested On Aug. 5
Ahmedabad Covid-19 Hospital Fire Leaves Eight Patients Dead
A blaze in the wee hours at a private hospital here has left eight Covid-19 patients dead, a fire brigade official said on Thursday.
The victims include five men and three women, who were being treated at the ICU ward of the Covid-19 designated Shrey Hospital in Navrangpura area of Ahmedabad, the official said.
Fire broke out around 3.30 a.m. on Thursday, he said.
Around 40 other Covid-19 patients at the facility were rescued and shifted to a civic hospital in the city, he said. "Eight coronavirus patients admitted in the ICU ward of Shrey Hospital have died due to the fire, which has been doused," said an official of the Ahmedabad Fire Department.
The cause of the fire is not known yet, he said.
With 1,073 new coronavirus positive cases, Gujarat's Covid-19 tally reached 66,777 on Wednesday. The number of deceased has gone up to 2,557, an official said.
Source: PTI