Coronavirus news highlights: India's Covid-19 tally surges past 68 lakh, death toll at 1,05,429

India sees 72,049 new Covid-19 cases and 986 deaths in the past 24 hours. The country's caseload went past 68 lakh, and the death toll climbed to 1,05,429 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. India currently leads the world in the average number of new infections and is expected to overtake the United States over the next several weeks as the country with the world's largest number of cases.

Thank you readers for following our live updates on the coronavirus

For the latest updates on Covid-19, click here.

Jharkhand issues SOPs for reopening for religious places

Delhi restaurants to operate round-the-clock

In a major relief to city restaurants amid Covid-19 outbreak, the Delhi government on Wednesday said they will be allowed to operate round-the-clock and the requirement of tourism licenses will be removed.

Read More

Assam reports 1307 new Covid-19 cases

1307 new Covid-19cases detected out of 33,346 tests today. Total number of cases now at 1,90,209 including 1,55,074 discharges, 34,347 active cases and 785 deaths: Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Health Minister

Indian regulator rejects Sputnik V’s phase-3 trial request due to inadequate data

Rejecting a proposal to conduct a direct phase-3 clinical trial of the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, Indian drug regulator has advised the promoters of the vaccine to carry out a phase-2 trial on Indian subjects first to check the vaccine’s immune response before going ahead with a larger phase-3 study.

Read More

42% recent travellers ready for a trip again: Survey

With movement is slowly becoming normal, the confidence in air travel has also grown as around 42 per cent of recent travellers said they had a comfortable in-flight experience and are ready to travel again, according to a survey.

Read More

PM Narendra Modi to launch 'Jan Andolan' on Covid-19-appropriate behaviour ahead of festival season

Keeping in mind the upcoming festival season, Prime Minister NarendraModiwill be launching a 'Jan Andolan' (People's Movement) for Covid-19-appropriate behaviour—'wear mask, follow physical distancing, maintain hand hygiene'.

Read More

People in large numbers gather at New Market in Kolkata

Jharkhand reports 829 new Covid-19 cases

Jharkhand reports 829 new Covid-19 cases, 1087 recoveries & discharges and 10 deaths today. Total cases in the state rise to 89,702, including 79,176 recoveries & discharged and 767 deaths. Active cases stand at 9759: Government of Jharkhand

Meghalaya reports 128 new Covid-19 cases, tally rises to 7,165. The state currently has 2,411 active cases of the disease

Maharashtra records nearly 15,000 new Covid-19 cases

Uttarakhand reports 630 new Covid-19 cases, 11 more fatalities. Infection tally rises to 52,959, death toll 688. Number of active cases now 8,367

Coronavirus cases in Haryana reach 1,37,398

Haryana reported 1,283 Covid-19 cases, 1,555 discharges and 19 deaths today, taking total cases to 1,37,398 with 1,24,841 discharges, 1,528 deaths and 11,029 active cases: State Health Department

Punjab reports 852 new Covid-19 cases

852 new Covid-19 cases and 33 deaths have been reported in Punjab today, taking the total number of cases to 1,20,860 including 11,563 active cases and 3,712 deaths: State Government

Karnataka tests highest number of 1,04,348 Covid-19 samples in a day

Goa reports 432 new Covid-19 cases, nine more fatalities. Infection tally rises to 36,670, death toll reaches 477. Number of active cases stands at 4,749

Tamil Nadu records more than 5k cases in 24 hours

Covid-19 tally in Andhra Pradesh rises to 7,34,427

5,120 new Covid-19 cases and 34 deaths reported in Andhra Pradesh in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases in the state is now 7,34,427 including 49,513 active cases, 6,78,828 recoveries, and 6,086 deaths so far: State Government

Uttar Pradesh reports more than 3,000 Covid-19 cases

3561 new Covid-19 cases, 4219 discharges and 47 deaths in Uttar Pradesh in the last 24 hours. The total cases in the state rise to 4,24,326, including 3,74,972 discharges and 6200 deaths. Active cases stand at 43,154: Government of Uttar Pradesh

Gujarat's Covid-19 tally rises to 1,46,673

Gujarat reports 1311 new Covid-19 cases, 1414 discharges and 9 deaths today. Total cases in the state rise to 1,46,673, including 1,26,657 discharges and 3531 deaths. Active cases stand at 16,485: Government of Gujarat

Manipur reports 249 new cases, 2 more deaths

249 new Covid-19cases, 122 recoveries & 2 deaths reported in Manipur today. Total positive cases now at 12,489, including 2,805 active cases, 9,604 recoveries & 80 deaths till date. Recovery rate is 76.89 %: Govt of Manipur

Madhya Pradesh records 1.639 new Covid-19 cases

Cinema halls in Delhi to reopen from Oct 15: Kejriwal

Now, all weekly markets in Delhi will be opened. Till now, only 2 markets per day per zone were allowed. Cinema halls in Delhi will also be opened from October 15. They have to follow all the guidelines issued by the central government: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

Coronavirus cases in Chandigarh rise to 12,820

Chandigarh reports 127 new Covid-19cases, taking the total number of cases to 12,820 including 1,448 active cases, 182 deaths, and 11,190 cured cases: Health Department, UT Chandigarh

53 positive cases of Covid-19 and 36 recoveries confirmed in the state today: Nagaland Health Minister S Pangnyu Phom

Jammu and Kashmir reports 621 new Covid-19 cases

Jammu and Kashmir reports 621 new Covid-19cases and 2,188 recoveries today, taking the total tally in the Union Territory to 81,097, including 67,684 recoveries and 1,282 deaths. Active cases stand at 12,131: Government of Jammu and Kashmir

Coronavirus cases in Rajasthan reach 1,50,467

Rajasthan records 2151 new Covid-19cases, 16 deaths, 2078 recoveries and 2068 discharges today. The total cases in the state rise to 1,50,467, including 1590 deaths, 1,27,526 recoveries and 1,26,476 discharges: Government of Rajasthan

Kerala records 10,606 new Covid-19 cases, tally nears 1 lakh

Kerala records 10,606 new Covid-19 positive cases in the last 24 hours. There are 92,161 active cases in the state and 1,60,253 people have recovered from the infection till date: State Government

With 2,871 new Covid-19 infections, Delhi's tally nears 3,00,000-mark

Delhi reports 2,871 new Covid-19, 35 deaths and 3,370 recoveries/discharges/migrations in last 24 hours. Total cases in the state rise to 2,98,107, including 5,616 deaths and 2,70,305 recoveries/discharges/migrations. Active cases stand at 22,186: Government of Delhi

Kerala Power Minister M M Mani says he has tested positive for Covid-19

Over 1 crore children aged between 5 and 14 forced to work as coronavirus batters India

His hands caked with paint and dust, Aakash looks right at home working at an auto repair shop -- except that he is a minor, one of millions forced into the Indian labour market.

Read More

Telangana records 2,154 new Covid-19 cases

Telangana recorded 2,154 Covid-19 cases, 2,239 recoveries and 8 deaths yesterday, taking total cases to 2,04,748 including 1,77,008 recoveries, 1,189 deaths and 26,551 active cases: State Health Department

Himachal Pradesh reports 60 new Covid-19 cases

60 new Covid-19cases & 334 cured cases reported in Himachal Pradesh since 9 pm bulletin yesterday. Total cases in the state stand at 16,343, including 2,862 active cases 13,232 cured and 224 deaths: Department of Health & Family Welfare, Himachal Pradesh

UNHCR Commissioner Filippo Grandi tests Covid-19 positive

Filippo Grandi, Commissioner of the UNHCR - the UN Refugee Agency - announces on Twitter that he has tested positive for Covid-19.He has mild symptoms and is isolating at home.

Karnataka govt reduces fine amount for not wearing masks to Rs 250

Karnataka Government reduces the fine amount for not wearing masks to Rs 250 from Rs 1000 in urban areas and to Rs 100 from Rs 500 in rural areas

Tripura reports 237 new Covid-29 cases, infection tally rises to 27,545. The state has 4,624 active cases of the disease

Masks, social distancing, washing hands only weapons to remain safe: Prakash Javadekar

Mask, social distancing & washing hands are the only weapons to remain safe, in the absence of a Covid-19 vaccine. Campaign to raise awareness about these measures in public places will be kicked off soon: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar briefing media on cabinet decisions

World Bank praises efforts to arrest Covid-19 spread in Mumbai's Dharavi

The World Bank on Wednesday praised the efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus in Mumbai’s Dharavi, one of the world's largest slums, saying its success stemmed from a combination of “customised solutions”, community involvement and perseverance.

Himachal Pradesh Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj contracts Covi-19

Bhardwaj is the third Himachal Pradesh minister and ninth MLA in the 68-member state Assembly to have contracted the virus.

Australia expects Covid-19 vaccination is still a year away

AFP File Photo

Odisha reports 2,995 new Covid-19 cases, record 18 fresh fatalities

Odisha's Covid-19 tally mounted to 2,40,998 on Wednesday as 2,995 more people tested positive for the infection, while record 18 fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 958, a health official said.

Pakistan's Covid-19 caseload reaches 316,315 with 624 fresh cases

Pakistan’s coronavirus caseload on Wednesday reached 316,315 with 624 new patients testing positive in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of National Health Services.

Mizoram reports 20 fresh Covid-19 cases, tally rises to 2,148

At least 20 more people, including eight security personnel, have tested positive for novel coronavirus in Mizoram, taking the state's tally to 2,148, a health department official said on Wednesday.

By 2021, as many as 150 million people likely to be in extreme poverty due to Covid-19: World Bank

AFP Photo

Arjun Kapoor recovers from Covid-19, says excited to resume work

Actor Arjun Kapoor on Wednesday said he has tested negative forCovid-19, a month after contracting the virus.

The 35-year-old actor was diagnosed withCovid-19on September 6 and was in home quarantine since.

Ukraine sees record daily high of 4,753 new coronavirus cases

Ukraine registered a record 4,753 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the national security council said on Wednesday, up from a previous record of 4,661 new cases reported on October 3.

India's Covid-19 recovery rate crosses 85%: Health Ministry

Arunachal Pradesh adds 222 fresh Covid-19 cases, 1 fatality

Arunachal Pradesh's Covid-19 tally rose to 11,007 on Wednesday as 222 more people, including three Army jawans, tested positive for the infection, while one fresh fatality pushed the northeastern state's coronavirus death toll to 20, a health official said.

Czech Republic's daily Covid-19 cases climb above 4,000 for first time

The rise surpassed a previous record of 3,794 as the country has had one of Europe's fastest per-capita spikes in cases in the past month. In total, it has recorded 90,022 cases since March, along with 794 deaths.

Telangana reports 2,154 new Covid-19 cases, 8 deaths

Telangana registered 2,154 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the tally to 2.04 lakh while eight more deaths pushed the toll to 1,189.

China's experimental Covid-19 vaccine appears safe: Study

A Chinese experimental coronavirus vaccine being developed by the Institute of Medical Biology under the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences was shown to be safe in an early stage clinical trial, researchers said.

India's Total Recoveries have crossed 56.6 lakh taking the national Recovery Rate to 84.7%.

This is fuelled by 17 States/UTs whose Recovery Rate is higher than the national average.

13 new cases push Covid-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands to 3,912

The Union territory now has 180 active coronavirus cases, while 3,678 people have recovered from the disease and 54 patients have succumbed to the infection so far.

Jharkhand reports 847 fresh Covid-19 cases, adds 10 new fatalities

Jharkhand's Covid-19 tally rose to 88,873 on Wednesday as 847 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said.

India sees 72,049 fresh Covid-19 cases and 986 deaths in the past 24 hours.

Donald Trump, others from White House who have tested positive for Covid-19 so far

A growing number of White House staff and senior Republicans have tested positive for the novel coronavirus since President Donald Trump revealed he had contracted the respiratory disease.

Read the full list here

Maskless Trump set a poor example at White House: Republican Senator

Republican Sen. Susan Collins said she was “shocked” to see President Donald Trump discharged from the hospital so soon, and said Trump set a poor example by appearing at the White House without a mask.AP

79 new Covid-19 cases & 50 recoveries reported in Ladakh

79 new Covid-19 cases & 50 recoveries reported in Ladakh on 6th October. The number of active cases now stands at 1195 (904 in Leh district and 291 in Kargil district)

ANI

Anti-vaxxer misinformation goes viral in the Philippines

Online misinformation is leaching out from cheap mobile phones and free Facebook plans used by millions in the Philippines, convincing many to reject vaccinations for polio and other deadly diseases.

AFP

White House Covid-19 infections could have been prevented: Anthony Fauci

Reuters Photo

Australia's Victoria state reaches lower infection milestone

Australia's city of Melbourne, capital of thecoronavirushotspot state of Victoria, on Wednesday reported the lowest two-week average of new cases after a second contagion wave that led to one of the world's toughest lockdowns.

Refusing Covid-19 test? Be ready for jail and fine in Karnataka

Amid the worsening Covid-19 outbreak in the state, the government on Tuesday invoked the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Ordinance 2020 to crack down onpeoplewho refuse to get tested.

Read More

Mexican economy needs years to recover from coronavirus: IMF

Mexico faces a years-long struggle to return to pre-pandemic levels of employment, income and poverty after an expected economic contraction of 9.0 percent in 2020, the IMF warned.

(AFP)

DCGI nod to Phase-1 human trials of 'antisera' with potential to treat Covid-19

Drugs Controller General of India has given permission for conducting Phase-1 human clinical trial for an "antisera" that was developed by injecting inactivated SARS-CoV-2 in horses and can be a potential treatment for Covid-19, ICMR officials said on Tuesday.

Read more

Covid-19: Centre removes export curbs on N-95 masks

The Centre on Tuesday removed export curbs on N-95 masks, which are in demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with a view to promote outbound shipments of the product. Earlier, exporters were required to seek licence from the government for export of these masks.

Read more

48% of total Covid-19 deaths concentrated in 25 districts of 8 states: Health Ministry

About 48 per cent of total Covid-19 deaths in the country are concentrated in 25 districts of 8 states, out of which 15 districts are in Maharastra alone, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

Addressing a press briefing, Union Health Ministry Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said India has recorded the highest number of recoveries from Covid-19 at over 56 lakh and India has also conducted the second-highest number of tests in the world at 8.10 crore.

Read more