Coronavirus India Updates: Tally Tops 3.2 Lakh Cases; Over 9,000 Dead
Track news and developments around the Covid-19 pandemic in India here.
More than 3.2 lakh people have been infected by the Covid-19 strain of coronavirus in India, with the pace of new cases increasing at a time the country is reopening for business.
India added nearly 12,000 cases in the 24 hours preceding the Health Ministry’s 8 a.m. update on June 14, taking the total tally to 3,20,922.
Key Numbers
- Total number of confirmed coronavirus cases: 3,20,922
- Active cases: 1,49,348
- Cured/discharged/migrated: 1,62,379
- Deaths: 9,195
Authorities reported 11,929 new cases, 311 deaths and 8,049 recoveries in the last 24 hours. That’s the highest ever fresh cases and second highest recoveries reported so far.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to hold talks with state chief ministers next week amid the continued spread of the virus in the country. Even with the rising cases, authorities continued to assert that there is no community transmission in the country.
The Supreme Court has, however, taken cognisance of the increase in cases and issued notices to Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu on their handling of the pandemic. On Friday, Maharashtra became the first state in the country to cross the grim milestone of one lakh cases.
Global Update
China cases jumped the most in almost two months as Beijing shut a major food market and nearby housing districts amid fears of a resurgence of the coronavirus.
Globally, cases passed 77 lakh, while deaths exceeded 4.28 lakh.
AstraZeneca Plc pledged 400 million doses of Oxford University’s vaccine at no profit. Pfizer’s CEO expects a vaccine by October. Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. has a deal with Gilead Sciences Inc. for Remdesivir. and Sinovac Biotech Ltd. said its coronavirus shot is safe.
Track news and developments around the Covid-19 pandemic in India here.
Kerala Government To Use Telemedicine Service E-Sanjeevani For Non- Covid Patient Care
The Kerala government has decided to effectively make use of the telemedicine platform e-Sanjeevani, as a sustainable solution for non- Covid-19 patient care while avoiding direct interface with doctors during the Covid-19 crisis.
The app offering high-utility features was launched on June 10 and the state decided to be part of e-Sanjeevani, developed by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing as an effective consultation platform. State Health Minister KK Shailaja, in a release, said telemedicine has every possibility to emerge as a viable and efficient solution in Kerala.
"It has a definite advantage as it precludes the need for a patient to go to hospital and it provides the services at the fingertips. Since the elderly and other vulnerable people are advised against going outside their homes during the Covid-19 times, the health requirements of these people can be met with this innovative solution," she noted.
The minister also said if telemedicine picks up the way the state anticipates it to, then probably the government would want to strengthen this by offering health consultations round the clock on all days of the year.
Source: PTI
Parents Want CBSE, CICSE Pending Board Exams Scrapped Due To Spike In Covid-19 Cases
As Covid-19 cases continue to rise, most parents say they are worried about the pending class 10 and 12 board exams by CBSE and CICSE scheduled from July 1, and demand that they be scrapped and the result be declared by either calculating the average of tests already conducted or based on an internal assessment.
Several parents have launched an online campaign hashtagged "studentlivesmatter", "livesoverexams" and "cancelboardexams".
Four of them have filed a petition in the Supreme Court, urging it to cancel the board exams in the wake of the coronavirus disease, which by Sunday had infected more than 3.20 lakh and killed over 9,000 people across the country.
"Who will ensure the safety of our children? One asymptomatic child or invigilator can infect all the kids in that classroom. The viral load of being in the same room for 4 hours is very high," Nishant Akshar, a parent, said.
"Other than logistical nightmare, what if the situation worsens? The kids prepare again and at the last minute the exams get cancelled (again). What will be the psychological impact on our children?" Rohini Bhumihar, mother of a class 10 student, said.
Seeing that any improvement in the situation was difficult to predict, Punjab, Telangana and Tamil Nadu have cancelled class 10 exams for their students this year.
The petition filed in the Supreme Court by the parents of class 12 students has sought a direction to CBSE to declare results on the basis of tests already conducted, and calculate the total on average basis with internal assessment marks of the remaining subjects.
Parents have also argued that the CBSE has cancelled the examinations of Class 10 and 12 for its around 250 schools situated abroad and has adopted the criteria of awarding marks on the basis of either practical exams conducted or the internal assessment marks, then why similar approach cannot be followed for students in India.
The board exams, which were postponed in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, will be conducted from July 1 to 15. The competitive exams including medical entrance NEET and engineering entrance exam JEE-Mains have been scheduled on July 26 and July 18-23 respectively.
Universities and schools across the country have been shut since March 16, when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as part of measures to contain the Covid-19 outbreak. A 21-day nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which came into effect the next day.
While the government has eased several restrictions, schools and colleges continue to remain closed.
According to Home Ministry guidelines, there will be no exam centres in the containment zones.
Source: PTI
State-Wise Breakup
Covid-19 Tests To Be Ramped Up, Door-To-Door Survey In Delhi Hotspots: Shah
Novel coronavirus tests will be doubled in Delhi in the next two days and subsequently increased by three times, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday after chairing a meeting on the spiralling cases of the pandemic in the city.
Shah announced a slew of measures that will be taken now after he held a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baija and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at his office in North Block.
Coronavirus tests in Delhi will be doubled in the next two days and increased by three times after six days, he said.
The Covid-19 tests will be started at every polling station in the containment zones of Delhi in a few days and a comprehensive house-to-house health survey will be done in the hotspots for contact tracing, Shah said.
He added that the Centre would also provide 500 railway coaches to Delhi in view of the shortage of beds for Covid-19 patients.
The Covid-19 tally has reached nearly 39,000 and the virus has claimed more than 1,200 lives so far in Delhi.
Source: PTI
Beds For Covid-19 Patients In Delhi To Increase By 5,000: Chief Minister Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the bed strength in the national capital for treating coronavirus patients will increase by 5,000 after the city government decided to declare small and mediummulti-speciality nursing homes as "Covid nursing homes".
Small and medium multi-speciality nursing homes in the city having 10 to 49 beds have been declared as "Covid nursing homes" by the Delhi government to increase the bed capacity for coronavirus patients, according to an official order issued on Saturday.
Only standalone exclusive eye centres, ENT centres, dialysis centres, maternity homes and IVF centres are presently exempted, the order said.