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Coronavirus news highlights: India's Covid-19 tally crosses 74 lakh; death toll stands at 1.12 lakhIndia reports a spike of 63,371 new Covid-19 cases and 895 deaths in the last 24 hours. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total case tally stands at 7,415,629 including 8,04,528 active cases, 64,53,780 recoveries and 1,12,910 deaths.
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Jharkhand reports 473 new Covid-19 cases, 818 discharges and 4 deaths today. Total cases at 95,425 including 88,058 discharges, 824 deaths, and 6,543 active cases:

Assam reported 767 new Covid-19 cases today. Total number of cases now at 1,99,749, including 1,70,263 discharges and 853 deaths. Active cases stand at 28,630.

Andaman and Nicobar reported 10 new Covid-19 cases and 14 recoveries today, taking total cases to 4,072 including 185 active cases, 56 deaths and 3,831 recoveries.

India took host of measures to combat Covid-19 impact: Nirmala Sitharaman to World Bank

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said the government has taken a host of initiatives, including a stimulus package totalling 10 per cent of the country's GDP and major reforms in the labour sector, to combat the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Govt has no strategy to deal with coronavirus pandemic, revive economy, says Congress

Addressing a press conference, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the government instead of building "false narratives" should get down to doing the right things that will increase consumption, investment and jobs.

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None of the four repurposed Covid-19 drug regimens work, says WHO

In a jolt to doctors managing Covid-19 patients, a WHO-supported international trial on Friday reported that none of the four repurposed medicines to treat Covid-19 including Remdesivir and Hydroxychloroquine actually helps reduce the 28-day mortality rate in hospital.

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Indian-origin men, women face higher death risk from Covid-19 in England: Report

Men and women belonging Indian ethnicity communities in England and Wales are roughly 50-75 per cent more likely to die with Covid-19 than white men and women, according to a latest statistical analysis released in London on Friday.

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Hong Kong bars Air India, Vistara flights till October 30 after passengers test positive for Covid-19

Hong Kong has banned Air India and Vistara flights from October 17 to 30 after a few passengers on their flights tested positive for Covid-19 post-arrival, a senior government official said on Friday.

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Online shopping the pandemic away? There's a better way

You probably want to buy something.

For many households, there is more money at the end of the month. Spending is way down on restaurant meals and entertainment. Excess income over spending is about 14% — up from a 25-year average of 7-8%.

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Highest single-day spike of 3,771 new Covid-19 cases take West Bengal's tally to over 3.13 lakh; toll rises to 5,931 with 61 more fatalities.

Next two-and-a-half months very crucial in fight against coronavirus because of winter season and festivals. It becomes the responsibility of every citizen to not let our guard down and follow Covid-19 appropriate behaviour: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan

1,352 new Covid-19 cases and 25 deaths reported in Madhya Pradesh today

Total cases in the state rise to 1,57,936 including 2,735 deaths and 1,41,273 recoveries so far. Active cases stand at 13,928.

Uttarakhand records 549 new Covid-19 cases, 15 more fatalities. Infection tally rises to 57,042, death toll reaches 829. There are 5,692 active cases of the disease in the state.

Mumbai reports 1,823 new Covid-19 cases, 1,644 discharges and 37 deaths today

Total cases rise to 2,38,548 including 2,05,111 discharges and 9,635 deaths. Active cases stand at 19,608.

1,227 new Covid-19 cases, 1,139 discharges, and 11 deaths reported in Haryana today

Total cases at 1,47,933 including 10,441 active cases, 1,35,858 discharges and 1,634 deaths.

Women perform 'Dhunachi' dance on the arrival procession of Goddess Durga idol at their community puja pandal ahead of 'Durga Puja' festival, amid coronavirus pandemic, in Kolkata. Credit: PTI Photo

How straight talk helped one state control Covid-19

The state of Maine has the nation’s oldest population, with an average age of 45.1 versus 38.5 for the US overall. It is also among the country’s poorest.

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Remdesivir is almost ineffective in severe cases of Covid-19: WHO

The UN health agency says the world's largest randomised trial of Covid-19 treatments found “conclusive evidence” that Remdesivir, a drug used to treat US President Donald Trump when he fell ill, has little or no effect on severe cases.

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Even Pakistan, Afghanistan handled Covid-19 better than India: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday criticised the Modi government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic saying “even Pakistan and Afghanistan handled Covid-19 better than India”.

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Total number of confirmed positive cases in India reaches 7,409,201; death toll stands at 1,12,804 as of October 16.

Maharashtra reports 11,447 new coronavirus cases which takes caseload to 15,76,062, while death toll reaches 41,502 with 306 fatalities.

Andhra Pradesh reports 3,967 new Covid-19 cases, 25 more fatalities and 5,010 recoveries. Infection tally rises to 7,75,470, death toll reaches 6,382. The number of active cases in the state stands at 38,979.

Railway Board reviews security, crowd management, enforcement of Covid-19 protocol, action against human trafficking and other arrangements in Covid times as footfalls increase at railway stations and festival season arrives.

Uttarakhand reports 549 new Covid-19 cases today, 524 patients cured. Total cases in the state rise to 57,042, including 50,155 recoveries and 829 deaths.

Ladakh records 89 new Covid-19 cases, one more fatality. Death toll rises to 65, infection count reaches 5,393. Number of active cases of the disease stands at 1,018.

Karnataka reports 7542 new cases, 73 deaths and 8580 discharges today. Total Covid-19 cases in the state rise to 7,51,390, including 10,356 deaths and 6,28,588 discharges. Active cases stand at 1,12,427.

979 discharges and 26 deaths reported in Punjab today. The Covid-19 tally in the state rises to 1,26,737, including 1,16,165 cured patients and 3980 deaths. Active cases stand at 6592.

Goa reports 321 new Covid-19 cases, six more fatalities. Infection tally reaches 40,091, death toll climbs to 531. There are 3,950 active cases in the state at present.

Pfizer may seek Covid-19 vaccine authorisation in November

US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer expects to file for emergency use authorisation for its Covid-19 vaccine in late November, around two weeks after the November 3 US presidential election, it said Friday.

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Rajasthan records 15 more Covid-19 deaths, 2,010 new cases. Death toll jumps to 1,723, infection tally reaches 1,69,289. Number of active cases in the state stands at 21,381.

Manipur records 337 new Covid-19 cases and 5 deaths today; the total number of positive cases in the State stands at 14,715 including 11,245 recoveries, 3,361 active cases and 109 deaths.

3428 new Covid-19 cases, 22 deaths and 3197 recoveries/discharges/migrations reported in Delhi today. Total cases here rise to 3,24,459, including 2,95,699 recoveries/discharges/migrations and 5946 deaths. Active cases stand at 22,814

Gujarat reports 1,191 new Covid-19 cases, 11 deaths and 1,279 discharges/recoveries today. Total cases now at 1,57,474 including 1,39,149 recoveries, 14,705 active cases and 3,620 deaths: State Health Department

Jammu and Kashmir record 697 new Covid-19 cases and 8 deaths today

The total positive cases in the UT rises to 86,754 including 8,909 active cases, 76,479 recoveries and 1,366 deaths: Government of Jammu and Kashmir

Three-tier Covid-19 lockdown faces backlash, London set for tougher rules

The UK government came under increasing pressure on Friday as its three-tier Covid-19 lockdown faced backlash from some regions, even as Londoners prepared to move into Tier 2 high-risk category from Tier 1 medium level from midnight as part of efforts to control infection rates.

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Kerala reports 7,283 new Covid-19 cases, 24 more fatalities. Infection tally rises to 3,23,212, death toll reaches 1,113. There are 95,008 active cases of the disease in the state.

Tamil Nadu reports 57 deaths and 4,389 new Covid-19 cases taking the total number of cases in the State to 6,79,191. The death toll is at 10,529. 

6,27,703 people have been discharged in the State so far including 5,245 people discharges today.

Kerala reports 7,283 new Covid-19 cases, taking active cases in the state to 95,008. A total of 2,28,998 people have recovered till now.

England seeing 27,900 new Covid-19 cases per day: Survey

England saw an average of 27,900 new cases per day and infections are 50% higher on the previous week, a weekly survey showed on Friday as Prime Minister Boris Johnson bids to contain a resurgent pandemic with local restrictions.

The novel coronavirus has killed at least 1,099,509 people since the outbreak emerged in China last December

Globally, at least 38,965,020 cases have been registered. Of these, at least 26,884,800 are now considered recovered.

162 new Covid-19 cases, 4 more deaths in Tripura

At least 162 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Tripura on Friday, pushing the tally in the state to 29,193 a health department official said.

The death toll rose to 320 with four more persons succumbing to the infection, he said.

UK government under pressure for Covid-19 strategy

The British government is sticking to its strategy of tiered, regional restrictions to combat Covid-19 amid mounting political and scientific pressure for stronger nationwide measures to prevent the coronavirus pandemic from spiralling out of control.

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Decision to reserve 80% ICU beds for Covid-19 patients temporary: Delhi govt to HC

The Delhi Government Thursday told the Delhi High Court that the policy decision directing 33 big private hospitals to reserve 80 per cent of ICU beds for Covid-19 patients was taken as a stop-gap and temporary measure with an intent to mitigate the surge of coronavirus cases in the national capital.

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India's Covid-19 fatality rate 1.52%, lowest since March 22: Health Ministry

India has one of the lowest 81 Covid-19 deaths per million population in the world with less than 1,000 fatalities registered daily since October 4, while the fatality rate of 1.52 per cent on Friday was the lowest since March 22, the Union Health Ministry said.

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Central teams sent to Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal to manage Covid-19-case surge

High-level central teams have been deputed to Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, which have been reporting a surge in Covid-19 cases, to support them in management of the disease.

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75% of Durga Puja grant to be used on Covid-19 equipment, public-police bonding: Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court directed the community Durga Puja organisers in the state on Friday to spend 75 per cent of the Rs 50,000 grant given by the West Bengal government on the procurement of Covid protection equipment and the rest on strengthening public-police bonding.

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Delhi residents worry about toxic mix of pollution, Covid-19

Families in Delhi with pre-existing health conditions such as asthma are stocking up on oxygen cylinders and pulse oximeters, fearing that the city's worsening air quality will make them more vulnerable to the coronavirus.

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Decision to reserve 80% ICU beds for Covid-19 patients temporary: Delhi govt to HC

The Delhi government Thursday told the Delhi High Court that the policy decision directing 33 big private hospitals to reserve 80 per cent of ICU beds for Covid-19 patients was taken as a stop-gap and temporary measure with an intent to mitigate the surge of coronavirus cases in the national capital.

The number of new coronavirus infections reported in Switzerland has risen by 3,105 cases in a new daily record, data from Switzerland's public health agency showed on Friday.

Malaysia reports 629 new coronavirus cases, 6 new deaths

Malaysia reported 629 new coronavirus cases on Friday, raising its cumulative tally of infections to 18,758, the health ministry said.

The Southeast Asian country, which has imposed targeted lockdowns this month to rein in a new surge in infections, also recorded six deaths, bringing total fatalities to 176.

2,610 fresh coronavirus cases in UP, active caseload down to 35,263

With 2,610 fresh coronavirus cases, the active caseload in Uttar Pradesh stood at 35,263 on Friday while the death toll rose to 6,589 with 46 more deaths, a senior official said.

"The number of active cases reported in the state in the past 24 hours were 2,610 while 3,538 patients were treated and discharged. There are 35,263 active cases in the state and 4,08,083 people have been treated and discharged," he added.

Donald Trump extends best wishes to Kamala Harris as two of her staff test Covid-19 positive

US President Donald Trump has extended his best wishes to Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris as two of her staffers tested positive for Covid-19, following which she suspended her campaign travel.

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Donald Trump says imposing coronavirus lockdown unconstitutional

Defending holding public events during the coronavirus pandemic, US President Donald Trump, who tested positive for Covid-19 early this month, has said that as a president he cannot remain locked in a basement and he has to meet people despite the risks.

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Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin leaves EU summit to self-isolate

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin left an EU summit on Friday to self-isolate as a precaution after attending a meeting this week with a Finnish MP who has since tested positive for Covid-19, the government said.

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Calcutta HC directs Durga Puja organisers to spend 75% of Rs 50,000 grant given by West Bengal govt on Covid-19 equipment, rest on strengthening public-police bonding.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad tests positive for Covid-19. He is under home quarantine.

White House puts 'politicals' at CDC to try to control information

The Trump White House has installed two political operatives at the nation's top public health agency to try to control the information it releases about the coronavirus pandemic as the administration seeks to paint a positive outlook, sometimes at odds with the scientific evidence.

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First 'no-quarantine' flights arrive in Australia as coronavirus cases fall

Hundreds of New Zealand plane passengers started arriving in Sydney on Friday as part of a new trans-Tasman travel bubble amid a rapidly falling growth rate in cases at the epicentre of Australia's coronavirus outbreak.

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Odisha by-election: Polling staff to carry Covid-19 kits

Apart from EVMs, indelible ink and other election-related materials, the polling personnel this time will also carry Covidkit for conducting by-elections in two assembly segments of Odisha on November 3.

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A man wearing a facemask as a preventive measure against coronavirus walks along the banks of the Ganges river at Dasaswamedh Ghat in Varanasi. Credit: AFP Photo.

Coronavirus: Don’t let the mask slip

Up until March this year, the only people one spotted wearingmasksapart from surgeons were transplant patients and monks of a certain sect. Covid-19 has changed all that and masksare now a standard fixture in our wardrobes.

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Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw feels India is dealing with Covid-19 in 'ad-hoc manner'

India has the ability to aggressively ramp up coronavirus testing capacity, a move that will help it check a wave of new active cases hitting hospitals and skirt an economically unviable lockdown, according to the head of one of the country’s largest drug makers.

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25 crore migrants labourers to enroll for jobs through new government portals

After facing severe backlash over lack of data on job loss and death of migrant workers during the coronavirus lockdown, the government has come up with a plan to start an official survey on the migration patterns of labourers in the country.

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Covid-19 has built a fresh appreciation for clean water & soap in those of us fortunate enough to have access to them,but 3 billion people lack access, tweeted UN's Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

$60 experimental coronavirus vaccine rolled out in eastern Chinese city

A $60 double-dose experimental coronavirus vaccine is being made available to some residents in an eastern Chinese city, health officials have said, the first details of a mass rollout for an as-yet unproven vaccine.

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Soumitra Chatterjee's health condition improves, oxygen saturation back to normal

The health condition of legendary actor Soumitra Chatterjee improved a lot on Friday morning following which doctors have removed him from the BiPAP and put on nasal mask.

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Playback singer Kumar Sanu tests positive for Covid-19

A worker decorates a "pandal" or a temporary platform, for the upcoming Durga Puja festival, amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease. Credit: Reuters Photo.

NHS England in talks for rollout of potential Covid-19 vaccine

The National Health Service (NHS) is in talks with the British Medical Association (BMA) and others around mobilising the rollout of a potential Covid-19 vaccine from December, Pulse website for health professionals reported on Thursday.

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10,28,622 samples were tested for Covid-19 yesterday. Total 9,22,54,927 samples tested in the country up to October 15: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

Fujifilm applies for approval of Avigan as Covid-19 treatment in Japan

Fujifilm Holdings Corp said on Friday it had applied for approval in Japan of its anti-influenza drug Avigan as a treatment for Covid-19.

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Telangana recorded 1,554 Covid-19 cases, 1,435 recoveries and 7 deaths yesterday, taking total cases to 2,19,224 including 1,94,653 recoveries, 1,256 deaths and 23,203 active cases: State Health Department. (ANI)

$5 Rapid Antigen Test offers hope for community screening

A $5 rapid test for the coronavirus may be nearly as effective as the slower, more complex polymerase chain reaction test for identifying people who may spread the coronavirus, a novel experiment has found.

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Low risk of Covid-19 infection on planes if masks worn: US military

The risk of being infected with the coronavirus on an airliner is very low if passengers wear masks, according to a study carried out aboard Boeing long-haul jets by the US military and published Thursday.

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English football affected by a hotchpotch of Covid-19 rules

There were two soccer games played over the weekend at Hayes Lane, a neat, compact stadium in a quiet corner of southeast London. The first, on Saturday afternoon, played out in the pin-drop silence that characterizes sports amid the pandemic.

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Donald Trump, Joe Biden go at it, from a distance, in town halls

President Donald Trump was evasive Thursday night when pressed if he took a Covid-19 test before his first debate with Democrat Joe Biden as the two men squared off again, in a way, after their scuttled second showdown was replaced by duelling televised town halls several channels apart.

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India reports a spike of 63,371 new Covid-19 cases and 895 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Total case tally stands at 73,70,469 including 8,04,528 active cases, 64,53,780 recovered/discharged/migrated cases & 1,12,161 deaths: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Coronavirus vaccine candidate from China's CNBG shows promise in human test: Study

Strong international cooperation on Covid-19 vaccines could speed up the world economic recovery and add $9 trillion to global income by 2025, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Thursday.

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Rio Tinto warns fresh Covid-19 lockdowns to hit global recovery

Rio Tinto said on Friday that fresh lockdowns sparked by a resurgence in coronavirus cases threaten the global economic recovery and posted a 4.6 per centdrop in third-quarter iron ore shipments due to planned maintenance in Pilbara.

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Donald Trump claims mask wearers infected by Covid-19 all the time

President Donald Trump says, without evidence, that people who wear face masks are getting infected with the coronavirus “all the time."

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US store workers to get training on how to handle fights over masks

Many retail workers will receive a new sort of preparation for this year’s holiday season: training on how to manage conflicts with customers who resist mask-wearing, social distancing and store capacity limits.

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Remdesivir fails to prevent Covid-19 deaths, says study

Remdesivir, the only antiviral drug authorized for treatment of Covid-19 in the United States, fails to prevent deaths among patients, according to a study of more than 11,000 people in 30 countries sponsored by the World Health Organization.

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Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths on October 16

First day, poor show as Bengaluru theatres reopen after seven months

Most cinema theatres in the city remained closed on Thursday, the day they were supposed to reopen after over seven months of Covid-induced shutdown. The handful that did reopen ended up playing films for fewerthan 10 patrons.

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A worker sanitizes a cinema hall ahead of its reopening for visitors, during Unlock 5, amid the coronavirus pandemic, in Gurugram. Credit: PTI Photo.

Nine new Covid-19cases reported in Mizoram, taking the total tally to 2,229. The number of active cases is at 108 while 2,121 people have been discharged so far. No death reported in the State till date: Government of Mizoram

Donald Trump still doing 'nothing' to rein in Covid-19 pandemic, says Joe Biden

Democratic White House hopeful Joe Biden said Thursday that Donald Trump has refused to boost efforts to combat Covid-19 even after he tested positive, accusing the US president of doing "nothing" to improve conditions for Americans.

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A student wearing a protective face masks gets her temperature checked at a government-run school after authorities ordered schools to reopen voluntarily for classes 9 to 12, amidst the coronavirus disease outbreak, in Gurugram. Credit: Reuters Photo.

Karnataka devises protocol to spot Covid-19 after RT-PCR negative

Karnataka on Thursday officially recognised a new category of patientswith "Covid-19 Like Syndrome", who test negative for Covid-19 in RT-PCR but are later found to have serious Covid-like illness through high-resolution CT (HRCT) scan.

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