India registers a record daily jump of nearly 14K COVID-19 cases, Chennai back into lockdown after spike

India on Friday registered a record one-day jump of 13,856 COVID-19 cases in a grim trend that has continued for most of this month as Chennai was back into lockdown after a sharp rise in the infections.

In some positive news, the number of recoveries crossed the two lakh mark and now stands at 2,04,710, while there are 1,63,248 total COVID-19 active cases, according to the Union Health ministry data. This showed that around 53.79 per cent of the patients have recovered so far.

The jump of 13,586 COVID-19 cases pushed the countrywide tally to 3,80,532, while the death toll stood at 12,573 with 336 new fatalities, the data showed.

A total of 1,89,997 cases--around half of the overall tally--was reported this month alone largely due to the rise in the infections in the worst affected states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.

UP, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh were among the states which registered a record daily spike on Friday.

Track live updates on coronavirus here

Kerala recorded a rise in cases by over 100 for the second time so far. The first coronavirus case in the country was reported in this state on January 30.

As states focused on rigorous testing, the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) said 1,76,959 samples were tested on Thursday, the highest for a day so far to take the cumulative total to 64,26,627 samples.

The Centre also asked states to replicate the best practices implemented by Karnataka, which includes comprehensive contact tracing of COVID-19 cases and physical or phone-based household survey, for better management.

India's Drug Regulator, meanwhile, has approved anti-viral drug favipiravir for "restricted emergency use" in mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 in view of the crisis posed by the pandemic, official sources said.

Considering the emergency and unmet medical need in COVID-19, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) under the fast-tracked approval process granted domestic firm Glenmark Pharmaceuticals the permission to manufacture and market favipiravir (200 mg) tablet.

"The drug has been approved for restricted emergency use in the country for the treatment of mild to moderate cases of COVID-19," a source in the know of developments told PTI.

Chennai wore a deserted look as the 12-day lockdown without previous relaxations came into force in the Tamil Nadu capital and in a string of other localities in nearby three districts—Chengalpet, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur with police deploying drones and intensifying patrols to check violations.

Tamil Nadu reported 2,115 new COVID-19 cases taking the tally to 54,449. Chennai accounted for 70 per cent of these cases.

While arterial roads to neighbouhood streets were deserted, police placed barricades in key intersections and blocked free access to several main thoroughfares in the city and suburbs.

Shops selling essentials including vegetables functioned from morning till 2 pm and private vehicles and autos, taxis were off the roads.

Only some cargo trucks and vehicles related to essential services were seen plying on roads and other key highways in Chennai's southern and northern periphery.

Under the lockdown, only essential services are allowed unlike the relaxations available previously.

City Police Commissioner A K Viswanathan asserted that curbs will be strictly enforced.

Cooperation from people was good, he said, and appealed to them to continue that for the success of the complete lockdown to help prevent spread of COVID-19.

With 809 COVID-19 cases, Uttar Pradesh was among the states which recorded the highest single-day spike to take the tally to 16,594, officials said.

Andhra Pradesh also witnessed a similar trend with a record daily jump of record 465 cases to reach a total of 7,961.

In Kerala, the COVID-19 inched towards the 3,000 mark with 118 new cases being reported in the highest single day spike.

With the addition of the fresh cases, 2,912 people have been infected, Health minister K K Shailaja said.

New positive cases on a single day had touched three digits for the first time in Kerala on June 5 when 111 people were infected.

In Maharashtra, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said while the spread of coronavirus has been contained in the state the increase in the mortality rate was not a good sign.

"After the easing of lockdown restrictions, there is an increase in the number of patients in some districts. Tracing patients and their contacts expeditiously is very important and the only solution. There should be no complacency," he said during a video conference with collectors, municipal commissioners and divisional commissioners to review the pandemic situation.

Maharashtra accounts for 1,20,504 cases in the country while the death toll stood at 5,751.

Lauding the two initiatives taken by Karnataka developed as part of the ‘whole of government’ approach with the involvement of multi-sectoral agencies and supported by technology-based solutions and interventions, the Union Health ministry said they effectively trace and track each case thereby successfully containing the spread of the epidemic.

"The Centre has asked the other states to adapt these best practices to their local context and replicate them for better management of the COVID-19 pandemic," the ministry said in a statement.

Karnataka has widened the definition of ‘contact’ to include both the high-risk as well as low-risk contacts as defined by the central government.

The number of primary and secondary contacts in the state were meticulously traced and put under strict quarantine, the ministry said. Contact tracing is a critical component towards containing the epidemic and ensuring that the health infrastructure does not get overwhelmed.

The state has been able to curtail the spread of infection in slums of big corporation areas through compulsory institutional quarantine of the contacts residing in slums or similar areas, it said.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's office-cum-residence in Bengaluru was shut for sanitisation for a day after an employee's relative tested positive for coronavirus.

According to sources, a woman staff working at 'Krishna', the office-cum-residence of Yediyurappa, did not turn up for duty for two days after her husband was infected by the virus.

"Her husband has been tested positive and not the woman, but still as a precautionary measure the entire building has been sanitised," an official told PTI.

The chief minister conducted all the important meetings of the day at the Vidhana Soudha instead of 'Krishna', the official said.

Amid the rising COVID-19 cases in West Bengal, the number of containment zones in the state has also increased from 1,907 to 2,428 in a week, the state government said.

Kolkata, which has reported the highest number of active cases in the state (2,173) so far, also has the maximum number of containment zones at 1,512, according to the state government website 'Egiye Bangla'.

Till Thursday, the state registered 12,735 COVID-19 cases and 518 fatalities.