Coronavirus news highlights: India's Covid-19 death toll goes past 1.4-lakh mark

India's Covid-19 caseload went past 66 lakh, and the death toll climbed to according to Deccan Herald's count 1.04 lakh. In its most recent update, the Union health ministry placed the total number of cases at 66,23,815 and the death toll at 1,02,685. The ministry said that 55,86,703 people have so far recovered from the infection. Stay tuned for more updates.

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Karnataka Primary & Secondary Education S Suresh Kumar tests positive for Covid-19

West Bengal cricketers return to training at Eden Gardens after more than 6 months

While captain Abhimanyu Easwaran is out of station, 15 cricketers of the senior men's side attended training on Monday, that mainly involved workouts and gym sessions held under the guidance of trainer Sanjib Das.

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Will debate Donald Trump if experts say it is safe: Joe Biden

Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden said on Monday he is willing to participate in next week's scheduled debate with President Donald Trump if health experts say it would be safe.

Trump's medical team is weighing whether the president can leave the hospital later on Monday after being admitted last week for Covid-19. (Reuters)

How Donald Trump could have exposed Joe Biden and others to Covid-19 at the presidential debate

President Donald Trump tested positive for the novel coronavirus last week, just days after attending the first presidential debate with former vice president Joe Biden at Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic’s Health Education Campus. While it is unclear if the president was infected at the time, people with the virus can be contagious for two to three days before developing symptoms. According to some news reports, Trump may have had mild symptoms as early as Thursday. His wife Melania Trump attended the debate and has also tested positive for the virus.

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The total number of Covid-19 cases in the state is 16,033 including 3,156 active, 12,633 recoveries and 219 deaths: Himachal Pradesh Health Department.

1062 new Covid-19 cases and 38 deaths have been reported in Punjab today, taking the total number of cases to 1,19,186 including 12,897 active cases and 3,641 deaths: State Government.

Tamannaah Bhatia tests positive for Covid-19, says being discharged from hospital

"Although my team and I have been very disciplined on set, I, unfortunately, succumbed to a mild fever last week. After undertaking the mandatory tests, I was diagnosed as Covid-19 positive.

"I admitted myself into a private hospital in Hyderabad to mitigate adverse health outcomes and after being under the care of expert medical professionals I am now being discharged," the actor said.

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White House Press Secretary McEnany tests positive for Covid-19

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Monday she tested positive for Covid-19, adding that she would begin quarantining and that the White House medical unit does not list any members of the press as close contacts.

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Sundarban Island in West Bengal still free from Covid-19

As the country is grappling with the Covid-19 outbreak a remote island located nearly 100 km away from Kolkata in the Sundarban area has managed to remain free of the virus. The Ghormara Island in South 24 Paraganas district’s Sagar block is yet to record a single Covid-19 case.

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Karnataka reported 7,051 new Covid-19 cases, 7,064 discharges and 84 deaths today, taking total cases to 6,47,712 including 5,22,846 discharges and 9,370 deaths. Number of active cases stands at 1,15,477: State Health Department.

Maharashtra reports 10,244 new Covid-19 cases, 263 deaths and 12,982 discharges today. Total cases in the state rise to 14,53,653, including 38,347 deaths and 11,62,585 discharges. Active cases stand at 2,52,277: State Health Department.

Festive season spend may dip by 33% this year; property, auto to bear the brunt

Most of the consumers surveyed opined that they want to buy small traditional items and gift packs online instead of going to market. "With Covid-19, consumer spending in festive season 2020 is expected to get impacted by approximately one third in value in comparison to festive season 2019 with major decline expected in property, automobile, and jewelry purchases," Localcircles founder and chairman Sachin Taparia said.

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Covid-19: Karnataka prohibits strike by doctors, health staff

Chief Secretary of the state T M Vijay Bhaskar passed an order to this effect on Sunday in the wake of doctors, paramedics and health workers on government job or hired on contractual basis going on strike and threatening to stop work. In the order, the Chief Secretary said, "...as Chairman of the State Executive Committee, I hereby prohibit strikes, non-cooperation, disobeying or refusal to work related to health services; non-submission of reports, non-compliance to the orders issued by the higher authorities by any public servant, health personnel..."

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New Polish education minister tests positive for coronavirus

The ceremony conducted by President Andrzej Duda was planned for Monday afternoon, but the new education minister, Przemyslaw Czarnek, said early in the day he had a headache and a test showed he was infected with the coronavirus.

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Andhra Pradesh reported 4,256 new Covid-19 cases, 7,558 recoveries & 38 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking total positive cases to 7,23,512, including 6,66,433 recoveries, 51,060 active cases & 6,019 deaths: State Health Department.

One in 10 may have caught Covid-19, as world heads into difficult period, says WHO

Mike Ryan, the WHO's top emergency expert, told the agency's Executive Board that outbreaks were surging in parts of southeast Asia and that cases and deaths were on the rise in parts of Europe and the eastern Mediterranean region.

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Good news for foodies! Now get street food delivered to your house

Under the Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNibhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme,theMinistry of Housing and Urban Affairs on Monday signed an MOU with Swiggy, the food ordering and delivery platform,to provide online access to street vendors to supply food to its consumers.

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Govt issues SOPs for reopening of schools from October 15

TheEducationMinistryreleased guidelines on Monday for reopening schools, which included thorough cleaning and disinfection of premises, flexibility in attendance, no assessment for up to three weeks and ensuring smooth transition from home-based schooling during Covid-19 lockdown to formal schooling.

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Himachal Pradesh records 17 new Covid-19 positive cases today, taking the total cases in the state to 15,909 including 3,147 active cases, 12,521 recoveries and 216 deaths: State Health Department.

Delhi reports 1,947 new Covid-19 cases and 32 deaths today

Delhi reports 1,947 new Covid-19 cases, 3,588 recoveries/discharges/migrations and 32 deaths today. Total number of cases rise to 2,92,560 including 2,63,938 recoveries/discharges/migrations and 5,542 deaths. Active cases stand at 23,080: Delhi Government

Kerala records 5,042 new Covid-19 positive cases in the last 24 hours. There are 84,873 active cases in the state and 1,49,111 people have recovered from the infection till date: State Government.

19 new Covid-19 cases reported in Dharavi area of Mumbai today, taking the total number of cases to 3,258 including 185 active cases and 2,781 discharges: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Photo credit: PTI

Hundreds of Regal, Cineworld movie theaters to close

Shares in the company that owns the Regal, Cineworld and Picturehouse movie theaters fell as much as 58 per cent after it said it will temporarily close the venues because the postponement of the latest James Bond film left it with few blockbusters to attract customers during the pandemic.

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'India stands out in terms of its Covid-19 response'

India stands out in terms of its Covid-19 response. Our fatality rate is one of the lowest in the world. Our hospitals are capable to handle cases. For a developing country, the response is satisfactory & we're trying to live up to expectations: Deputy CEO, National Health Authority. (ANI)

2020 Watch: How long will Donald Trump be quarantined?

President Donald Trump spent the weekend in the hospital after testing positive for Covid-19, a stunning development that injected a new layer of chaos into an already turbulent 2020 contest just one month before Election Day.

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Maharashtra: Hotels, food courts, restaurants & bars in the state resume dine-in services from today with 50% capacity. (ANI)

India gives 3,000 vials of Remdesivir to Myanmar to aid Covid-19 fight

As part of India's contribution to help "friendly neighbour" Myanmar in its fight against Covid-19, Army chief Gen. M M Naravane and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Monday handed over 3,000 vials of Remdesivir to State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

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'Gilded cage', private pools, fancy meals in Thailand's luxury quarantine

A private infinity pool, gourmet meals -- and two temperature checks a day. Welcome to five-star quarantine in Thailand, where well-heeled tourists can live in luxury while obeying some of the world's strictest anti-coronavirus measures.

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We have taken first step to restart football activities: AIFF president Praful Patel

The cash-rich Indian Super League (ISL) backed by the AIFF, in all likelihood, will be the first sporting competition in the country after a phased opening of the lockdown. The event starts October 20 and will be held in Goa.

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Eating one day, going hungry the next: Sex workers fight for survival in age of social distancing

Will life ever get back to normal? As Covid-19 continues to spread, it’s a question that haunts all sectors of society but perhaps sex workers most of all with the fear of being pushed further into the shadows in an age of social distancing darkening their present and clouding the future.

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Telangana records 1,335 new Covid-19 cases, tally breaches 2-lakh mark

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for 262 of the 1,335 cases, followed by Rangareddy (137), Medchal Malkajgiri (91), Karimnagar (83) and other districts.

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In the last 24 hours, 3,064 new Covid-19 cases were reported in the state. Active cases stand at 45024 while 3,66,321 people have been discharged- out of which 4269 were discharged in the last 24 hours: UP Principal Health Secretary Amit Mohan Prasad.

Rahul Gandhi condoles Uttar Pradesh Congress leader's death due to Covid-19

"Congress' former legislative council member and CLP leader from Uttar Pradesh, Naseeb Pathan Sahab, has passed away due to coronavirus. My condolences to his family," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

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A timeline of Donald Trump’s symptoms and treatments

A timeline of events about the President’s illness is drawn from his tweets, news conferences, statements from the White House and reporting from The New York Times.

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Donald Trump signals improving health with appearance for supporters

The outing came minutes after the President had announced "a surprise" for fans, and it appeared designed to personally take back the narrative on his improving health after a weekend of confused and contradictory messaging from the White House and Trump's medical team.

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After Joe Biden’s exposure to Donald Trump, his team cagey on health questions

For months, Joe Biden has gone to great lengths to model responsible behaviour in the coronavirus era. He wears masks in public. He does not hold crowded rallies. When he gives speeches, reporters sit at a distance from one another, with white circles on the ground to mark their turf.

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Covaxin to use ViroVax's adjuvant to boost immune response

Vaccine maker Bharat Biotech on Monday announced its novel coronavirus vaccine (under development) Covaxin, which was approved for human trials, will use adjuvant Alhydroxiquim-II to boost immune response and longer-lasting immunity.

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A man looks inside from a closed gate of a school sealed by authorities as some teachers and students tested positive for the Covid-19 in Islamabad. Credit: AFP Photo

Covaxin to use ViroVax's adjuvant to boost immune response

Vaccine maker Bharat Biotech on Monday announced its novelcoronavirusvaccine (under development) Covaxin, which was approved for human trials, will use adjuvant Alhydroxiquim-II to boost immune response and longer-lasting immunity.

Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur tests positive for Covid-19

Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur has self-isolated himself for three days after he came in contact with a BJP MLA who has tested positive for Covid-19.

Sick with Covid-19, Trump tries to paint the picture of health

Donald Trump has told aides to think of every day of his administration as an episode in a television show.

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Active cases in India are 9,34,427, which contribute only 14.11% to the country's positive caseload. This is following a progressively downward trend.

10 states/UTs account for 77% of active cases. 74,442 new Covid-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours.

At least 126 more people, including six security personnel, have tested positive for Covid-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, pushing the northeastern state's tally to 10,548.

The Covid-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 3,884 on Monday as 16 more people tested positive for the virus.

Twelve new patients were detected during contact tracing, while four have travel history.

Jharkhand's Covid-19 caseload rose to 87,210 as 933 more people tested positive for the infection.

Nine more patients succumbed to the disease, taking the state's coronavirus death toll to 743.

UK technical failure in COVID-19 testing data system now fixed, minister says

Karnataka reports over 10,000 new Covid-19 cases third time in a week; fatalities plummet

Karnataka on Sunday reported 10,145 fresh coronavirus cases, third such occurrence in a week where the single-day infections exceeded the 10,000-mark.

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Restaurants to stay open, but Paris on maximum Covid-19 alert

Paris restaurants will be allowed to stay open -- but under tightened restrictions -- when the city is placed on maximum coronavirus alert in the face of alarming Covid-19 infection numbers, the prime minister's office announced Sunday.

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India crosses a landmark milestone as active cases continue to be less than 10 lakhs for 14 days unabated. The Centre-led strategies of “Test, Track, Trace, Treat Technology” have been followed by the state/UT govts, as part of the whole of government approach: Ministry of Health

New Zealand beat the coronavirus again: Jacinda Ardern

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declared on Monday New Zealand "beat the virus again" and announced restrictions in the country's largest city would be eased after a second Covid-19 wave was contained.

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Supreme Court's 3-judge bench, headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, begins hearing petitions related to charging interest on loans during the 6-month moratorium period brought in due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

2,617 new Covid-19 cases, 4,108 recoveries and 17 deaths reported in Odisha till October 4. The total number of cases rises to 2,35,330 including 2,02,302 recoveries, 32,051 active cases and 924 deaths.

India's Covid-19 caseload went past 66 lakh,while thenumber of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 55,86,703 pushing the recovery rate to 84.34 per cent,according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.

In Mexico, 103-year-old woman said to survive Covid-19

A 103-year-old Mexican woman suffering from a chronic pulmonary disease has survived a bout of Covid-19, the Mexican Social Security Institute announced.

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Maharashtrahotels, food courts, restaurants and bars in the state resume their services today, months after they were closed in the wake of Covid-19pandemic. The services are resuming with 50% capacity from today.

A total of 7,99,82,394 samples tested for Covid-19 up to October 4. Of these, 9,89,860 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

Amid cold weather, US states see record increases in Covid-19 cases

Nine US states have reported record increases in Covid-19cases over the last seven days, mostly in the upper Midwest and West where chilly weather is forcing more activities indoors.

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A total of 76,737 recovered from Covid-19 in 24 hours in India. The death toll rose to 1,02,685 with 903 new cases.

India sees 74,442 new Covid-19 cases; tally tops 66 lakh.

New York mayor announces shutdown plan for nine neighborhoods

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, to contain the spread of Covid-19 in what was once the USepicenter of the pandemic, said on Sunday he is moving to shut non-essential businesses as well as schools in nine neighbourhoods identified as coronavirus clusters, starting on Wednesday.

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Covid-19 impact: BMCRI medicos risk qualifying without surgical know-how

Postgraduate surgical students at theBangalore Medical College and Research Institute risk qualifying with inadequate skills if Victoria Hospital does not start non-Covid servicesuntil April.

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Nepal overtakes China's Covid-19 tally, mulls lockdown

Japanese fashion designer Kenzo Takada dies of Covid-19

Kenzo Takada, the iconic Franco-Japanese fashion designer famed for his jungle-infused designs and free-spirited aesthetic that channeled global travel, has died. He was 81.

No new coronavirus cases in 24 hours in Mizoram

The Covid-19 tally in Mizoram stands at 2,120, including 1807 discharges. Active cases stand at 313. No new cases reported in the last 24 hours.

A worker sanitizes a hotel ahead of its reopening, Unlock 5, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Credit: PTI Photo

Covid-19: Karnataka hits new peak; 65,000 cases in a week

The state's Covid-19 numbers hit a new peak over the last one week, with 65,185 cases being registered over the last seven days, out of which 10,145 were reported on Sunday.

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Donald Trump improving, could be discharged today: Doctors

US President DonaldTrumphas "continued to improve" as he is treated for Covid-19, his doctors said Sunday, revealing he could be discharged as early as Monday.

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Centre estimates to utilise 40-50 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses on 20-25 crore people by July 2021: Vardhan

The Centre estimates to receive and utilise 40-50 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine covering 20-25 crore people by July next year and it is preparing a format for the states to submit by October-end their list of priority population group to receive the vaccine, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday.

Chhattisgarh reports 1,924 fresh coronavirus cases and 14 fatalities, taking the state’s tally to 1,23,324 and the death toll to 1,045.

Good morning readers, welcome to DH's live coverage of the coronavirus outbreak.

India has exceeded 140 tests per day per million population as advised by the World Health Organisation by nearly 6 times. Several states/UTs have demonstrated better performance than the national average