Coronavirus news highlights: India's Covid-19 tally crosses 62-lakh-mark, death toll breaches 96,000

Total number of confirmed positive cases in India reaches 62,14,384; death toll stands at 96,417 as of September 29. Meanwhile, the ICMR's second serosurvey revealed that one in 15 individuals aged 10 years and above were estimated to be exposed to Covid-19 by August 2020 and that 7.1% of adults showed evidence of past exposure to the virus. Stay tuned for more updates.

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Karnataka CM B S Yediyurappa's political secretary M P Renukacharya tests positive for Covid-19

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's political Secretary and MLA M P Renukacharya on Tuesday said he has tested positive for Covid-19.

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Covid-19: All-party meeting decides against further total shutdown in Kerala

All the parties were of the opinion that further total shutdown would cause severe inconvenience to the people. However, social distancing norms and restrictions on gatherings would be strictly enforced, and strict restrictions will be imposed at areas were the spread of Covid-19 was severe, said the Chief Minister.

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India’s considerable population still vulnerable to Covid-19: ICMR’s second Sero Survey

Assam tests record 1.34 lakh samples for Covid-19 in a day

The state's death toll reached 680 with 13 more fatalities, while the total number of cases rose to 1,77,221, he said.

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Reiterating India's commitment to prioritize supply of Covid-19 vaccines, EAM Jaishankar directed officials to expedite the exchange of required information regarding Phase-III testing, vaccine distribution, co-production and delivery in Bangladesh

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu tests positive for Covid-19

The 71-year-old Vice President underwent a routine Covid-19 test in the morning and test results showed he had contracted the virus.

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West Bengal recorded 3,188 new coronavirus cases, 2,961 recoveries and 62 deaths, taking total cases to 2,53,768 including 2,22,805 recoveries, 4,899 deaths and 26,064 active cases: State Health Department

Women buy imitation jewelry from a roadside stall for the upcoming Durga Puja festival, in Kolkata. Credit: PTI Photo

Karnataka reported 10,453 new Covid-19 cases, 6,628 discharges and 136 deaths, taking total cases to 5,92,911 including 4,76,378 discharges and 8,777 deaths. Number of active cases stands at 1,07,737: State Health Department

1,381 fresh Covid-19 cases take Gujarat's tally to 1,36,004; toll rises to 3,442 with 11 fatalities: State Health Department

Credit: AFP Photo

Andhra Pradesh reported 6,190 new Covid-19 cases, 9,836 recoveries & 35 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking total positive cases to 6,87,351, including 6,22,136 recoveries, 59,435 active cases & 5,780 deaths: Health Department, Govt of Andhra Pradesh

Maharashtra reports 14,976 new Covid-19 cases, 430 deaths and 19,212 discharges today. Total cases in the state rise to 13,66,129, including 36,181 deaths and 10,69,159 discharges. Active cases stand at 2,60,363: Public Health Department, Maharashtra

Government yet to take decision on reopening schools: Karnataka Education Minister S Suresh Kumar

The minister's statement comes as the reports emerged that he was seeking the opinion of other ministers and MLAs about reopening schools, which are not conducting regular classes due to coronavirus scare since the lockdown was clamped in the state. Most of the schools barring the state-run are holding online classes through video conferences. A section of private school teachers have appealed to the government to resume classes as they were rendered jobless after the closure of schools.

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Female workforce participation increased in India during lockdown: LinkedIn report

Female workforce participation increased from 30 per cent in April to 37 per cent at the end of July and hiring has picked up by 25 percentage points by the end of July as compared to June, the report said.

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India's tests per million population crosses 50,000 mark. As on 29th September 2020, approx. 53,000 tests per million population are conducted by the ICMR, says Health Ministry

2,148 new Covid-19 cases, 1,800 discharged cases & 15 deaths reported in Rajasthan today. The total number of positive cases rises to 1,33,119 till date, including 20,376 active cases, 1,10,254 discharged cases and 1,471 deaths.

Tamil Nadu reported 5,546 new Covid-19 cases, 5,501 recoveries & 70 deaths today, taking total positive cases to 5,91,943, including 5,36,209 recoveries, 9,453 deaths & 46,281 active cases: State Health Department

Commuters line up to board a special train at Egmore railway station after the government eased a nationwide lockdown imposed as a preventive measure against the Covid-19 in Chennai. Credit: AFP Photo

As on 29th September, 2020, 15.4% of the total Covid-19 cases are active and 83.01% are recovered cases: Ministry of Health

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia tests negative for Covid-19, discharged from hospital: Official

One in 15 individuals aged 10 years and above were estimated to be exposed to SARS- CoV2 by Aug 2020: ICMR sero-survey

People wearing protective face masks wait in line to get tested for thecoronavirusdiseasein New Delhi,India. Credit: Reuters Photo

ICMR sero-survey finding states 7.1% of adult population showed evidence of past exposure to Covid-19

A healthcare worker wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) checks the temperature of a woman sitting outside her house in an alley during a door-to-doorsurveyfor the coronavirus disease, in Jakhan village in the western state of Gujarat,India, September 22, 2020. Credit: Reuters Photo

India's Covid-19 recovery rate climbs past 83%; recovered cases outnumber active ones by over 41.5 lakh

As much as 73 per cent of the new recovered cases were reported from 10 states and Union Territories -- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Odisha, Kerala, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.

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Russian scientist behind Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine defends 'wartime' roll-out

Russia plans to share preliminary results of its Covid-19 vaccine trial based on the first six weeks of monitoring participants, raising the tempo in an already frenzied global race to end the pandemic.

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351 Jagannath Temple servitors test positive for Covid-19

At least 351 servitors and 53 employees of Shree Jagannath Temple here have tested positive for Covid-19, an official said.

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Israel minister says 'no way' virus lockdown will end soon

Israeli Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said Tuesday that there was "no way" the country's second nationwidecoronaviruslockdown would be lifted after three weeks as originally planned.

Feluda Covid-19 test cheaper, faster alternative to RT-PCR, say scientists

More accurate than a rapid antigen test and almost as quick, India’s CRISPR ‘Feluda’ Covid-19 test that changes colour on detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus could be a cheaper, faster and simpler alternative to an RT-PCR diagnosis, say scientists.

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Life returning to normal in Africa, but coronavirus fears linger

"Things are getting back to normal, even though it will never be like it was before," says a relieved Petunia Maseko, relaxing in a bar in South Africa's Soweto township.

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Serum Institute of India (SII) to produce up to an additional 100 million Covid-19 vaccine doses for India and low and middle-income countries in 2021. The announcement takes forward the collaboration between SII, Gavi, Vaccine Alliance and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: SII.

A man is covered in smoke as a woman reacts during fumigation by civic authority at a coronavirus isolation centre. Credit: AFP Photo

Why the coronavirus death rate still eludes scientists

Global deaths from Covid-19 have reached 1 million, but experts are still struggling to figure out a crucial metric in the pandemic: the fatality rate - the percentage of people infected with the pathogen who die.

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Testing drive unveiled as global Covid-19 death toll passes 10 lakh

Coronavirus tests that deliver results in 15-30 minutes are to be rolled out across the United States and in scores of poorer countries, as health authorities worldwide try to get a handle on a disease that has now killed more than a million people.

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Covid-19 pandemic toll is 'mind-numbing', says UN chief Guterres

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the loss of 1 million people to the coronavirus is an “agonising milestone" that has been made worse by the “savageness of this disease".

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84,877 recoveries have been registered in the last 24 hours in the country while the number of new confirmed cases stands at 70,589. The total number of recoveries has touched 51,01,397. With this, India’s Recovery Rate leaped past 83%

Covid, health, distant thoughts for pregnant labourers

Carrying bricks and cement by day and jerry cans of water when their shifts get over, the workday continues without end for thousands of pregnant labourers forced to live life on the precipice with little time to spare on thoughts of what the future holds – for themselves or their unborn child.

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State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths on September 29

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3D-printed nasal swabs effective in coronavirus testing: Study

A recent clinical trial provides evidence that 3D-printed alternative nasal swabs work as well, and safely, for Covid-19 diagnostic testing as the commercial synthetic flocked nasal swabs.

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Here's why the global Covid-19 death toll may be closer to 1.8 million

The world officially recorded 1 million deaths from Covid-19 in one of the most sobering milestones of the pandemic, but the real tally might be almost double that.

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Puzzled scientists seek reason for Africa's low Covid-19 fatality rate

Africa's overburdened public health systems, dearth of testing facilities and overcrowded slums had experts predicting a disaster when Covid-19 hit the continent in February.

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Nine deaths, 2,072 new coronavirus cases in Telangana

The surge in Covid-19 cases continued in Telangana with 2,072 new cases being reported which pushed the total infection count to 1.89 lakh. The toll rose to 1,116 with nine more fatalities.

Angela Merkel's government wants to restrict the size of parties to suppress the spread of the coronavirus in Germany.

‘We’re at war,' New York City faces a financial abyss amid coronavirus

The unemployment rate in New York City is 16%, twice as high as the rest of the country. Personal income tax revenue is expected to drop by $2 billion this fiscal year. Only a third of hotel rooms are occupied, and apartment vacancies in Manhattan have hit a peak.

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Video reunions, closed cemeteries: Coronavirus upends South Korea's Chuseok festival

Sitting in her tiny home, 83-year-old Moon Haeng-ja is struggling to master a new skill as the pandemic plays havoc with South Korea's harvest celebrations: making video calls.

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215 Maharashtra police personnel tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, taking total cases to 23,033 in the force including 19,681 recoveries, 3,107 active cases and 245 deaths.

3,067 new Covid-19 cases, 4,014 recoveries and 15 deaths reported in Odisha till September 28. The total number of cases rise to 2,15,676 including 1,77,585 recoveries, 37,210 active cases and 828 deaths.

Single-day Covid-19 cases in India drop below 75,000; recovery rate rises to 83.01%

Daily Covid-19 cases in India dropped below 75,000 and deaths under 1,000 were reported after nearly a month, while total recoveries crossed the 51 lakh-mark, according to the Union Health Ministry's data updated on Tuesday.

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India reports lowest daily Covid-19 deaths since August 3. Credit: Reuters Photo

CCMB scientists launch study to check whether coronavirus can travel in air; if so, how far

The CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) here has launched a study in hospital environment to assess how long and far the coronavirus can stay in air from an infected person, in a bid to strengthen the safety of health workers.

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Air India's insistence on security scanning mortal remains causing distress, say leaders

Air India's insistence on the mandatory security scanning of mortal remains before transporting it back to India has been causing distress, with community leaders ruing that the process at times is insensitive to their religious and cultural values.

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South Korea's daily coronavirus cases at another low

South Korea's daily coronavirus increase was the lowest in about 50 days Tuesday as new infections trend lower.

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US Democrats come down to $2.2 trillion in new Covid-19 proposal

US Democrats unveiled a $2.2 trillion relief bill Monday to help millions of Americans gutted by the coronavirus pandemic, trimming more than $1 trillion off their earlier version hoping to reach an agreement with Republicans after months of stagnation.

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India's coronavirus tally currently stands at 61,45,291.

India's reported 70,589 new cases in last 24 hours. A total of 776 new deaths took the toll to 96,318.

QR code-based ticket checking for Mail/Express passengers at CSMT

Central Railway Mumbai Division will be installing flap-based gates for automatic entry into the station at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai ( non-suburban passenger entry) by using QR code tickets.

These flap based gates have QR code scanner and thermal scanning feature. Passengers will be required to place the QR code on the QR code scanner at the entry gate for validation of the ticket details. Access will be permitted only after validation of both ticket details and temperature screening.

In isolating times, can Robo pets provide comfort?

The isolation caused by the coronavirus, not only in facilities but also among seniors living alone in their homes, has intensified interest in these products and increased sales.

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Trump administration to distribute 150 million rapid coronavirus tests

US President Donald Trump on Monday announced the distribution of 150 million rapid coronavirus tests ordered from Abbott Laboratories that are able to deliver a result in 15 minutes in a similar format to a home pregnancy kit.

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UK seeks to boost job training to help workforce recover from Covid-19

Britain will launch training options for adults to learn new skills in an effort to boost productivity and help the country recover from the coronavirus crisis, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce on Tuesday.

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Coronavirus is expected to stoke the slowest growth in more than 50 years in East Asia & the Pacific as well as China, World Bank said in an economic update on Monday. The bank said the region is expected to grow by only 0.9% in 2020, lowest since 1967

Mizoram reports 50 new Covid-19cases in the last 24 hours. The total cases in the state rise to 1,958, including 1,459 discharges. Active cases stand at 499.

Early Covid-19 treatments could be a ‘bridge’ to vaccine

Monoclonal antibodies that stop the coronavirus from spreading in the body are among promising strategies for averting severe illness from Covid-19 before vaccines arrive, said Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

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Bengaluru sees more heart attacks as Covid-19 pandemic bites

Doctors have reported a 30 per centsurge in heart attack cases in Bengaluru in the last two months, possibly related to factors like mental stress, economic difficulties, sedentary lifestyle, bad diet and other challenges imposed by the lockdown.

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OPINION | As Covid-19 closes schools, world’s children go to work

Every morning in front of the Devaraj Urs public housing apartment blocks on the outskirts of Tumakuru, a swarm of children pours into the street.

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15 countries with the highest number of cases, deaths due to the Covid-19 pandemic

The total number of cases and deaths registered country-wise:

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South African doctor reaches breaking point after battling Covid-19, TB

Zolelwa Sifumba described the daily injection she got to treat tuberculosis as feeling like hot lava being pumped slowly into her body, leaving the young South African doctor with crippling joint pain and incessant nausea.

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Gone in 60 sections? UK artist hopes to raise $30 million with giant canvas

The piece, titledThe Journey of Humanity, will measure just under 2,000 square metres when it is completed and benefit UNICEF, UNESCO, Global Gift Foundation, and Dubai Cares in an example of creative fundraising during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Caught in pandemic's net, fish sellers struggle to stay afloat

In 35 years of selling the village catch, Jennet Cleetus said business has never been so bad for her and other women who make ends meet by hawking seafood along the palm-fringed coast of Kerala in southern India.

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