Coronavirus India Updates: Total Cases Top 4.25 Lakh As Fresh Cases Mount

The Covid-19 outbreak in India continued to spread rapidly with the country reporting over 4.25 lakh confirmed cases so far, on Tuesday.

The country added over 14,000 new Covid-19 cases, a day after the biggest one-day spike, according to Health Ministry’s 8 a.m update on June 22.

Key Numbers

• Total number of confirmed coronavirus cases: 4,25,282
• Active cases: 1,74,387
• Cured/discharged/migrated: 2,37,196
• Deaths: 13,699

Authorities have reported 14,821 new cases, 445 deaths and 9,440 recoveries in the 24 hours preceding the update. These are the best recovery numbers India has recorded in a day.

Global Update

Brazil’s death toll from the coronavirus surpassed 50,000, while cases across the U.S. Sun Belt surged. Beijing reported only nine new infections, in a sign that a recent outbreak is coming under control, while South Korea saw the smallest daily increase in about a month. China blocked poultry from a Tyson Foods plant where many workers tested positive. At a Saturday rally, U.S. President Donald Trump called the Covid-19 disease “Kung flu,” a racist slur.

Globally, total cases have topped 8.9 million with over 467,000 dead.

Track news and developments around the outbreak in India here.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday directed all district magistrates and chief medical officers to make a work plan for launching a screening drive while stressing on increasing the coronavirus testing capacity.

At a meeting with senior officials, the CM also directed to carry out screening in areas other than the high-risk containment zones by increasing the number of medical teams to over 1 lakh, an official release said.

Every week, these teams should carry out screening in urban and rural areas assigned to them, Adityanath said, adding that infrared thermometers and sanitisers should be given to them.

He directed officials to make proper arrangements for the treatment of all suspected cases and said Covid-19 helpdesks should be set up in hospitals.

He asked for increasing daily testing capacity to 25,000. The use of antigen tests as an alternative arrangement should be encouraged wherever required, he said, adding that the number of beds in hospitals should be taken to 1.50 lakh.

Source: PTI

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has launched a rapid action plan to curb the spread of cases in key hotspots of the city.

The Mission Zero is aimed at breaking the Covid-19 chain in Borivali, Dahisar, Malad, Kandivali, Bhandup and Mulund, BMC said in a press note.

Fifty mobile dispensaries will run for two-to-three weeks to identify and treat patients. Besides, other steps are also being taken to prevent the spread through a public-private partnership. The Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana, real estate developers body CREDAI-MCHI, and Desh Apanayen Foundation will be part of the initiative.

The Delhi High Court Monday said 5-7 days cannot be taken for getting Covid-19 results for pregnant women prior to admitting them in hospitals for child-birth and asked the ICMR and AAP government to look at expediting it.

The observation came from a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan during hearing of a PIL by a lawyer who has sought that test results of pregnant women be given priority.

The court said that if five to seven days are taken to give results, then the hospital will say the result is five days old and will ask for fresh tests.

"Look at expediting it," the bench said and listed the matter for hearing on July 1 as neither the Indian Council of Medical Research nor the Delhi government had filed their responses to the plea.

The court had issued notice to them on June 12 and had sought their response by Monday, June 22.

Displeased with the lack of response from ICMR and Delhi government, the bench said, "Do not have a casual approach when we issue a notice."

With the lockdown being eased, some sex workers in Pune's red light area want to get back to business by taking all precautions and following the standard operating procedures to stay protected against Covid-19.

The livelihood of nearly 3,000 sex workers in the Budhwar Peth area here in Maharashtra has been affected by the Covid-19 outbreak and the subsequent lockdown, following which several of them moved back to their hometowns, according to an NGO working for their welfare.

Now, with the lockdown being relaxed, some of them are gearing up to resume work and are even ready to explore options of services like "phone sex", Tejasvi Sevekari, executive director of city-based NGO Saheli Sangh, told PTI.

She said the NGO, which is a collective of sex workers, has chalked out some standard operating procedures for them and is training them on how to take extra precautions while soliciting customers.

All these SOPs and guidelines are for sex workers across the country who are connected through the National Network of Sex Workers, she said.

"As no Covid-19 case was reported from the red light area here, the containment zone tag and barricading have been removed. While majority of the sex workers are still not ready to start their work, a handful of them have resumed business as they are facing financial crunch due to the long lockdown," said Sevekari.

The NGO has started imparting training through audio and video clips to the sex workers on what precautions they need to take during customer visits.

Source: PTI

Authorities reported over 14,800 fresh cases from across the country in just 24 hours.

While its fewer cases than Sunday’s 15, 413 cases, it is still the second highest number reported in India so far.

An 85-year-old woman in Goa lost her life to the Covid-19 virus, making this the first corornavirus death reported by the State.

The state has at least 754 total conformed cases with over 600 of those active.

Source: PTI