Coronavirus news highlights: West Bengal reports 3,177 new Covid-19 cases, 2,958 new discharges and 61 deaths

India's Covid-19 case tally crossed the 54.4-lakh mark, while the death toll crossed 87,000 and recoveries crossed 43.8 lakhs. The country accounts for close to 19% of the total global recoveries, overtaking the US to become the no.1 spot on the recoveries chart. On the vaccine front, AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine trial in US still on hold. The ICMR completed its second round of serosurvey.

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Three Covid-19 vaccine candidates in different stages of clinical trial: Harsh Vardhan

The government is giving all necessary support for development of a vaccine against the novel coronavirus in the country and three vaccine candidates are in different phases of clinical trial, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in Parliament on Sunday.

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Covid-19 deaths cross 8,000 mark in Karnataka, tally crosses 5.19 lakh cases

Covid-19 fatalities in Karnataka crossed the 8,000 mark on Sunday with 101 fresh deaths, while 8,191 new infections took the tally to 5,19,537, the health department said. The day also 8,611 patients being discharged after recovery.

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Hong Kong bars Air India flights till October 3 after passengers test positive for Covid-19

Hong Kong has banned Air India flights from Sunday to October 3 after a few passengers on its flight on Friday tested positive for Covid-19 post arrival, a senior government official said on Sunday.

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West Bengal reports 3,177 new Covid-19 cases, 2,958 new discharges and 61 deaths

West Bengal reports 3,177 new Covid-19 cases, 2,958 new discharges and 61 deaths today. The total cases in the state rise to 2,25,137, including 1,95,972 discharges and 4,359 deaths. Active cases 24,806: Department of Health & Family Welfare, Govt of West Bengal. - ANI

US sets record with over 1 million coronavirus tests in a day

The United States set a one-day record with over 1 million coronavirus diagnostic tests being performed, but the country needs 6 million to 10 million a day to bring outbreaks under control, according to various experts.

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JD(U) MP wonders if coronavirus being 'pushed' into Delhi

JD(U) MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh wondered on Sunday if coronavirus was being "pushed" into Delhi every time cases of the infection came down in the national capital, as he claimed that the world is still debating if the virus is man-made or natural.

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Police complaint against Assam minister for addressing rally amid Covid-19

A complaint has been filed against Assam minister Pijush Hazarika for allegedly violating Covid-19 protocols by addressing a poll rally in Baksa district, police said on Sunday.

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Election Commission of India to organise an international webinar tomorrow, on "Issues, Challenges & Protocols for Conducting Elections during Covid-19: Sharing Country Experiences" on its completion of one year of chairmanship of the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB). - ANI

2,579 new Covid-19 cases, 27 deaths and 2216 recoveries reported in Madhya Pradesh today

2,579 new Covid-19 cases, 27 deaths and 2216 recoveries reported in Madhya Pradesh today. Total cases in the state rise to 1,05,644, including 1,970 deaths and 81,374 recoveries. Active cases stand at 22,300: State Health Department. - ANI

Jammu and Kashmir reported 1,457 new Covid-19 cases, 692 recoveries and 14 deaths

Jammu and Kashmir reported 1,457 new Covid-19 cases, 692 recoveries and 14 deaths, taking total cases to 63,990 including 40,957 recoveries, 1,001 deaths and 22,032 active cases: J&K administration. - ANI

No significant mutation of coronavirus in India: Vardhan

No significant or drastic mutation in strains of SARS-CoV-2 has been found in India till now, Union Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday during an interaction with his social media followers.

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Delhi reports 3812 new Covid-19 cases, 37 deaths and 3,742 recoveries

Delhi reports 3812 new Covid-19 cases, 37 deaths and 3,742 recovered/discharged/migrated today. The total cases in the national capital rise to 2,46,711, including 4,982 deaths and 2,09,632 recovered/discharged/migrated: Government of Delhi. 11,322 RTPCR/CBNAAT/TrueNat tests and 41,083 Rapid antigen tests conducted today. 25,55,007 tests done so far. -ANI

Health Ministry mulling gathering data on suspected Covid-19 reinfection cases: Source

Taking note of instances of suspected Covid-19 reinfection reported from Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Delhi and Maharashtra, the Union Health Ministry is considering gathering data of such cases to ascertain their veracity, sources said.

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Maharashtra reports 20,598 cases; 26,408 patients discharged

26,408 patients discharged today; 8,84,341 Covid-19 patients discharged after full recoveryuntil today; Recovery rate in the state is 73.17%

20,598 new cases in the state today

455 Covid-19 deaths reported in the state today. Case fatality rate in the state: 2.7%

Out of 58,72,241 laboratory samples, 12,08,642 have been tested positive (20.58%) for Covid-19 until today.

Currently 18,49,217 people are in home quarantine and 35,644 people are in institutionalquarantine.

Assam set for partial resumption of schools despite no let up in Covid-19

Assam government will partially re-open schools for students from class IX to XII from Monday with 50% teachers even as the state was reporting 2,000 to 2,500 Covid-19 positive cases every day.

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Uttarakhand reports 878 new Covid-19 cases and 855 cured cases today. Total cases in the state rise to 40,963, including 27,828 recoveries and 491 deaths: State Control Room.

ICMR issues statement on completion of second round of serosurvey

The second round of countrywide serosurvey led by ICMR has been successfully completed. The final phase analysis of the survey is now underway and will offer a comparison with the results of the first survey.

Containment zones, that refer to a specific geographical area where positive cases of coronavirus are found are dynamic in nature. They do not fit into nationally representative sampling.

ICMR has been continuously communicating with the respective state authorities. The findings of the previous survey from the dynamic containment zones were communicated to the states for further action.

To further aid in developing state intervention plans, following the ICMR survey, states have also conducted their zone/city-specific surveys.

Karnataka reports 8,191 new Covid-19 cases, 8,611 discharges and 101 deaths

US Covid-19 toll to hit 200k; Donald Trump sees no need for regret

If the US could keep the death toll between 100,000 to 200,000 people, Trump said, it would indicate that his administration had “done a very good job.” In the coming days, the number of US deaths is set to clear the outer band of the president's projections: 200,000, according to the official tally, though the real number is certainly higher.

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Covid-19 has become a major challenge for mankind: LS Speaker Om Birla - ANI

Covid-19 has become a major challenge for mankind. We are also facing extraordinary circumstances due to Covid. Whenever a problem arose before the nation, this Parliament showed a path. People have hopes with this Session, held in such circumstances: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

Kerala reported 4,696 fresh Covid-19 cases today, taking the total number of active cases till date to 39,415. Number of recovered cases so far is 95,702: Kerala Government - ANI

Andhra Pradesh reported 7,738 new coronavirus cases, 10,608 recoveries and 57 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking total cases to 6,25,514 including 5,41,319 recoveries, 5,359 deaths and 78,836 active cases: State Health Department - ANI

Be cautious of both dengue and Covid-19, says Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday asked people of Delhi to be cautious of both dengue and coronavirus and spread awareness about measures to prevent the vector-borne disease.

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Covid-19 provides opportunity to India, Japan to further strengthen ties: Report

The Covid-19 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to both India and Japan to further strengthen economic ties by enhancing cooperation in areas like software development, modern technology, infrastructure and manufacturing, according to a report.

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Taj Mahal to reopen for visitors after 6 months

After a staying shut for a record 188 days owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the monument of love -Taj Mahal - would throw open its door for visitors from Monday.

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Vistara CEO says no layoffs; salary cuts to be reviewed in January 2021

Vistara, which has implemented various cost-saving measures amid the coronavirus pandemic, will review salary cuts in January but has not laid off any of its nearly 4,000 employees, according to the airline's chief.

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Uttar Pradesh reports 5,809 new Covid-19 cases, 6,584 discharges and 94 deaths, taking active cases to 65,954, discharges to 2,83,274 and death toll to 5,047: State Health Department - ANI

Scientists identify new drug with potential to mitigate severe Covid-19

Scientists have found that a new drug has the potential to prevent or mitigate severe consequences of Covid-19, an advance that may lead to the development of novel therapeutics for the coronavirus infection.

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20 million girls may not return to schools post-Covid-19, says Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner, has said that as many as 20 million more girls may not return to schools even after the Covid-19 crisis is over.

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It's different as RTPCR detects RNA & amplifies it using a polymerase chain reaction that is costly. This paper-based test also detects RNA but by a CRISPR guided system. The paper lights up if there is any viral RNA to show a sample as positive, in 45 minutes: S Mande, DG, CSIR. - ANI

Our Delhi CSIR lab was working on a CRISPR-Cas based detection kit before Covid-19. Because of this prior experience, they could very quickly repurpose the thing for Covid & developed a paper-based diagnostic kit called Feluda & get a formal approval from DCGI: S Mande, DG, CSIR. - ANI

Uttarakhand State Assembly Speaker Premchand Aggarwal tests positive for Covid-19 - ANI

Uttarakhand State Assembly Speaker Premchand Aggarwal tests positive for Covid-19. The session of Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly is scheduled to be held on 23rd, 24th, and 25th September in Dehradun.

No study conducted to assess impact of Covid-19 on mental health: Government

The government has not conducted any study to assess the impact of coronavirus on the mental health of people though a number of initiatives have been taken to provide psychosocial support during the pandemic, the Rajya Sabha was told on Sunday.

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Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network to track Covid-19 vaccine

The Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) system, which provides real-time information on vaccine stocks and storage temperatures across all cold chain points in the country, is being enhanced to address the needs for distribution and tracking of Covid-19 vaccine, whenever it becomes available, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Sunday.

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Virtual edition of UN General Assembly to see record participation of world leaders: Antonio Guterres

The virtual edition of the United Nations General Assembly will see a record number of Heads of State and Government address the high-level week through pre-recorded video statements, UN chief Antonio Guterres has said.

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Covid-19 disrupts routine health services in Kashmir

Routine medical services have been severely disrupted in Kashmir valley since the Covid-19 pandemic began in March this year as authorities were compelled to curtail other services.

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No data on number of Covid-19 plasma banks in country: Government

Convalescent plasma therapy has not been recommended by the Ministry of Health as a mainstay of Covid-19 therapy and there is no proposal under consideration to set up plasma banks, Rajya Sabha was informed.

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South Korea extends social distancing curbs ahead of major national holiday

South Korea on Sunday extended level 2 social distancing for a week until September27, which limits indoor gatherings to below 50 and outdoor to less than 100, and may tighten limits for the Chuseok holiday when people traditionally reunite with families.

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Girls are quitting school to work in coronavirus-battered rural Asia

One of the first cutbacks that many poor families consider during tough financial times is education for their daughters. During the pandemic with in-class learning shuttered, some girls in rural areas of Asia countries are being pushed to drop out. ...

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Indonesia reported 3,989 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, taking the total to 244,676, data from the country's health ministry showed.

The data added 105 new deaths, taking the total to 9,553, the biggest death toll in Southeast Asia.

A healthcare worker wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) takes a swab from a migrant laborer for a rapid antigen test at the site of an under construction residential complex amidst acoronavirusdisease (COVID-19) outbreak in New Delhi,India. Credit: Reuters Photo

Karnataka & Andhra Pradesh contributed over 10,000 to single-day recoveries: Health Ministry

60% of new recovered cases reported from 5 states -Maharashtra, Karnataka Andhra Pradesh, UP & Tamil Nadu. Maharashtra continues to lead with over 23,000 new cases of recovered patients. Karnataka & Andhra Pradesh contributed over 10,000 to single-day recoveries: Health Ministry

Lok Sabha MP NK Premachandran tests positive for Covid-19

94,612 recoveries registered in the last 24 hours, says Ministry of Health

India has reported high recoveries of over 94,000 for two successive days. 94,612 recoveries registered in the last 24 hours. With this, total recoveries crossed 43 lakh, Recovery Rate now touching 79.68%: Ministry of Health

Two weeks after woman goes missing from Covid-19 ambulance, Bengaluru police still clueless

Over two weeks after a woman living in Bengaluru mysteriously disappeared after boarding a 'Covid-19' ambulance in Bommanahalli, police have still not established her whereabouts with accuracy.

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The Czech Republic's daily count of new coronavirus cases dropped to 2,046 on Saturday, still a record number for a weekend day when fewer tests are done, data from the Health Ministry showed on Sunday.

The overall count of confirmed cases rose to 48,306 in the country of 10.7 million people.

Indonesia has suspended exports from an Indonesian seafood company PT Putri Indah into China after its frozen fish products tested positive for the coronavirus, the country's fisheries ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

The virus was detected on the outermost side of the package, not on the fish, the ministry said.

Covid-19 casts shadow on colourful Madikeri Dasara

Normally, Madikeri town is abuzz with activities during October for historical Madikeri Dasara. With Dasara, even tourism sector thrives along with business activities.

Unfortunately, this year Covid-19 has cast its ugly shadow on Madikeri Dasara and its celebrations.

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Russia reported 6,148 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, the second straight day when the daily number of cases exceeded 6,000.

Russia reported 6,148 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, the second straight day when the daily number of cases exceeded 6,000, taking the national tally of infections to 1,103,399.

The country's coronavirus crisis centre said 79 people had died of the disease in the last 24 hours, bringing the Russian death toll to 19,418.

Students undergo checking as they wait to enter an examination centre to appear in Rajasthan Pre Veterinary Test (RPVT) exams, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, in Bikaner, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. Credit: PTI Photo

India has added more flights and destinations to reach out to stranded citizens, tweeted Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. Bubble arrangements in place with 13 countries, he added.

India introduced TrueNat platform, anindigenously developed system back in April, which is easy to use with an added advantage of having half the turn-around time.As of today, 2500 TrueNat machines have been deployed in 484 districts of the country and over 25,00,000 tests have been conducted till date: ICMR

30 new Covid-19 cases in Mizoram; tally rises to 1,578

At least 30 people, including 17 Assam Rifles personnel in Mizoram, have tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, taking the state's tally to 1,578, an official said on Sunday.

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South Goa district hospital commissioned as Covid-19 facility

The South Goa district hospital has been commissioned has a Covid-19 treatment facility with an initial capacity of 150 beds, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has said.

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For the first time, more than 12 lakh Covid-19 tests conducted in the last 24 hours. Picture Credit: PIB India

At least 211 more people, including 20 security personnel and a health care worker, have tested positive for Covid-19 in Arunachal Pradesh.

Record 12 lakh Covid-19 tests conducted across India in last 24 hours

Telangana's Covid-19 tally rises to 1.71 lakh with 2,137 new cases

Telangana reported 2,137 new Covid-19 cases, taking the total infection count to 1,71,306 while eight more deaths pushed the toll to 1,033, a government bulletin said on Sunday.

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Brazil recorded 33,057 additional confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, and 739 deaths from the disease, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.

South America's largest country has registered more than 4.5 million cases of the virus since the pandemic began, according to ministry data, ranking it as the third worst outbreak in the world after the United States and India.

Covid-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 3,644 on Sunday as 13 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said.

Eleven new infections were detected during contact tracing, while two patients have travel history, he said.

Twenty-two more people have been cured of the disease, the official said.

The Union territory now has 156 active coronavirus cases, while 3,436 people have recovered from the disease and 52 patients have succumbed to the infection so far, he said.

The administration has so far sent 50,687 samples for Covid-19 tests, the official added.

UK's Boris Johnson to levy 10,000 pound fine on Covid-19 rule-breakers

British people who break new rules requiring them to self-isolate if they have been in contact with someone infected with Covid-19 will face a fine of up to 10,000 pounds ($12,914), Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.

The new rules will come into force on September28, and some low-income workers will receive government support worth 500 pounds if they suffer a loss of earnings, the government said.

Bengaluru: Jayadeva hospital installs bio-purifier in ICU to reduce Covid-19 load in air

In order to reducethe viral load in the air and boost the confidence of doctors working in intensive care and operation theatres, the state-run Jayadeva hospital has installed a bio-purifier machine in its ICU.

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According to the Ministry of Health, more than 12 lakh samples were tested in the past 24 hours.

India's coronavirus infections surge to 54 lakh

India's coronavirus case tally surged to 54 lakhas it added 92,605 new infections in the last 24 hours, data from the federal health ministry showed on Sunday.

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AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine trial in US still on hold

AstraZeneca on Saturday published a documentdescribing details of how the Covid-19 vaccine trial was being carried out, which was first reported by The New York Times.

India's total Covid-19 caseload stands at 54,00,619: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

South Korea's daily coronavirus total drops below 100

South Korea's new coronavirus tally has fallen below 100 for the first time in more than a month, as the country's recent viral resurgence is gradually easing.

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India's Covid-19 case tally crosses 54-lakh mark with 92,605 new cases & 1,133 deaths in last 24 hours

India's Covid-19case tally crosses 54-lakh mark with a spike of 92,605 new cases & 1,133 deaths in last 24 hours. The total case tally stands at 54,00,620 including 10,10,824 active cases, 43,03,044 cured/discharged/migrated & 86,752 deaths: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

Australia heads for lowest Covid-19 count in three months

Australia looked set to record its lowest daily increase in new coronavirus cases in three months on Sunday as a hard lockdown in the city of Melbourne brought the country's virus epicentre down sharply.

The second-most populous state Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital, reported 14 new infections in the 24 hours to Sunday morning, down from 21 new cases the day prior and its lowest since June 19.

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A healthcare worker wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) takes a swab from a migrant laborer for a rapid antigen test at the site of an under construction residential complex amidst acoronavirusdiseaseoutbreak in New Delhi,India. Credit: Reuters Photo

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 1,345 to 271,415

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 1,345 to 271,415, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday.

The reported death toll rose by two to 9,386, the tally showed.

Over 6.37-crore tests conducted till date: Ministry of Health

India scales another peak. In last 24 hours, 12 lakh tests were conducted across the country which is an all time record high. Total Covid-19tests more than 6.37 crore, according to the Ministry of Health.

6,36,61,060 samples tested up to 19th September for Covid-19. Of these, 12,06,806 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

Covid-19 likely to become a seasonal disease, say scientists

IGIB scientists develop low-cost Covid-19 test; name it after detective character 'Feluda'

Scientists at the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research's (CSIR) Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology have come up with a low-cost coronavirus test that will not require any expensive machines for detection of the pathogen.

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Sikkim allows reopening of hotels, homestays and other tourism-related services from October 10, after remaining closed for months due to Covid-19 pandemic.

A healthcare worker wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) takes a swab from a migrant laborer for a rapid antigen test at the site of an under construction residential complex amidst acoronavirusdiseaseoutbreak in New Delhi,India. Credit: Reuters Photo

Authorities announce lockdown in Chhattisgarh's Raipur between September 21-28 as Covid-19 cases rise.

PM Modi likely to hold Covid-19 review meeting with chief ministers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to chair a meeting of the chief ministers of seven states next week to review the coronavirus situation.

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

This data from Worldometer lists the countries most affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

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A state of shock: Karnataka faces a dire financial reality

Karnatakahas slipped into its worst spiral of financial woes and excessive borrowing in two decades, and the implications are frightening. The development could grind to a halt or citizens could be taxed to help repay the state’s loans.

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Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths on September 20

Total number of confirmed positive cases in India reaches 53,94,039; death toll stands at 86,715 as of September 20.

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Coronavirus: Rajasthan imposes Section 144 of CrPC in 11 districts

Concerned over the rising number of coronavirus cases, the Rajasthan government on Saturday decided to impose Section 144 of the CrPC in 11 districts of the state.

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Assam's Covid-19 death toll climbs to 548, tally soars to 1,55,453

Eight more Covid-19 patients succumbed to the virus in Assam on Saturday, pushing the death toll to 548, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

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A new fishing boat, purchased by a number of Gulf returnees and some retired Government employees being launched into water, in Thiruvananthapuram district. Credit: PTI Photo

The men, who belong to fishermen families in the region, had pooled money to buy the boat as many of them could not return to their jobs in the Gulf countries due to coronavirus.