Coronavirus news highlights: India's Covid-19 tally crosses 55-lakh mark, recoveries cross 44.7-lakh mark

India's Covid-19 case tally stands at 55,50,320 including 44,76,595 recoveries & 88,813 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. India's recovery rate of Covid-19 cases has crossed the 80 per cent mark. Meanwhile, phase 3 human trials of the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine have begun in Pune.

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Track live updates of coronavirus cases in India on September 22 here

22 new Covid-19 cases reported in Andaman and Nicobar, taking the total number of cases to 3,673; death toll stands at 52. Total 3,469 patients have recovered so far: Andaman and Nicobar Administration - ANI

Congress MLA B K Sangamesh tests positive for Covid-19

Congress MLA B K Sangamesh and his wife have tested positive for coronavirus and been admitted to a private hospital here, the legislator said on Monday. "Me and my wife were found positive for coronavirus.

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Aarogya Setu app has more than 15.7 crore registered users: Sanjay Dhotre

Aarogya Setu, the biggest Covid-19 contact tracing app in the world, has more than 15.7 crore registered users, Parliament was informed on Monday.

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Phase 3 human clinical trials of Oxford's Covid-19 vaccine begins in Pune

The phase-III human clinical trial of the Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Oxford University, and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII), began at the state-run Sassoon General Hospital here in Maharashtra on Monday, a senior official said.

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Rajasthan reports 1,892 Covid-19 cases, 16 deaths, 1,815 recoveries and 1,732 discharges. Total cases in the state stand at 1,16,881, including 1352 deaths, 97,284 recoveries and 95,906 discharges: State Health Department - ANI

Study suggests dengue may provide some immunity against Covid-19

A new study that analyzed the coronavirus outbreak in Brazil has found a link between the spread of the virus and past outbreaks of dengue fever that suggests exposure to the mosquito-transmitted illness may provide some level of immunity against Covid-19.

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Mumbai reported 1,837 new Covid-19 cases, 2,728 recoveries and 36 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking total cases to 1,86,150 including 1,50,535 recoveries, 8,502 deaths and 26,735 active cases: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation - ANI

Haryana reports 1,818 new Covid-19 cases and 28 deaths today, taking the total number of cases to 1,13,075 including 90,884 recoveries and 1,177 deaths. There are 21,014 active cases: State Health Department - ANI

Maharashtra reports 15,738 new Covid-19 cases, 344 deaths

32,007 patients discharged today; 9,16,348 Covid-19 patients discharged after full recoveryuntil today; Recovery rate in the state is 74.84%

15,738 new cases in the state today

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

Out of 59,12,258 laboratory samples, 12,24,380 have been tested positive (20.71%) for Covid-19 until today.

Currently 18,58,924 people are in home quarantine and 35,517 people are in institutionalquarantine.

Punjab records 2,247 new Covid-19 cases, 2,811 recoveries and 47 deaths, taking total cases to 99,930 including 75,409 recoveries and 2,860 deaths. Number of active cases stands at 21,661: State Health Department - ANI

Madhya Pradesh reported 2,523 new Covid-19 cases, 2,244 recoveries and 37 deaths today, taking total cases to 1,08,167 including 83,618 recoveries and 2,007 deaths. Number of active cases stands at 22,542: State Health Department - ANI

Uttarakhand reported 814 new coronavirus cases, 1,172 recoveries today, taking total cases to 41,777 including 501 deaths, and 12,075 active cases: State Health Department - ANI

Jammu and Kashmir reported 1,036 new Covid-19 cases, 1,158 recoveries and 23 deaths, taking total cases to 65,026 including 42,115 recoveries, 1,024 deaths and 21,887 active cases: J&K administration - ANI

Delhi reported 2,548 new Covid-19 cases, 3,672 recoveries and 32 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking total cases to 2,49,259 including 2,13,304 recoveries and 5,014 deaths. Number of active cases stands at 30,941: State Health Department - ANI

Covid-19 tally in Puducherry rises to 23,191, including 18,065 recoveries and 467 deaths. Active cases stand at 4,659: Government of Puducherry - ANI

Tamil Nadu reported 5,344 new Covid-19 cases, 5,492 discharges and 60 deaths today, taking total cases to 5,47,337 including 4,91,971 discharges and 8,871 deaths: State Health Department - ANI

Covid-19 negative report must for devotees visiting Kamakhya temple

A test report confirming Covid-19 negative status has been made compulsory for devotees visiting the ancient Kamakhya temple in Guwahati, which plans to reopen its doors soon.

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Karnataka reports 7,339 Covid-19 cases, 9,925 discharges and 122 deaths. The total cases in the state rise to 5,26,876, including 4,23,377 discharges and 8,145 deaths. Active cases stand at 95,335: Government of Karnataka - ANI

Man City's Gundogan tests positive for coronavirus

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has tested positive for coronavirus, the Premier League club announced on Monday, hours ahead of their first match of the new campaign.

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Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issues order for exemption of permit requirements to transport vehicles used exclusively for the carriage of oxygen during the period of Covid-19 pandemic, up to the 31st March, 2021

Kerala reports 2,910 new Covid-19 cases today. Active cases are at 39,285 and 98,724 people have recovered so far: State Government - ANI

Modi govt sometimes blames god, sometimes people, but not its 'misrule': Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked the Centre over Union Minister Harsh Vardhan's remarks that people's "irresponsible behaviour" has resulted in a surge in Covid-19 spread, saying the Modi government's "blind arrogance" sometimes blames god, sometimes people, but not its own "misrule".

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Drug used to treat coronavirus infections in cats may be effective against Covid-19: Study

A drug used to treat deadly coronavirus infections in cats could potentially be an effective treatment against SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the global coronavirus pandemic, according to a study.

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Andhra Pradesh reports 6,235 new Covid-19 cases

Andhra Pradesh reports 6,235 new Covid-19 cases today. The total number of cases now at 6,31,749 including 5,51,821 recoveries, 74,518 active cases, and 5,410 deaths: State Health Department.- ANI

MLA Duryodhan Aihole tests positive for Covid-19

In a Facebook post, Aihole informed that in the wake of the legislature session commencing on Monday he had undergone Covid-19 test in Bengaluru and has tested positive.

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159 police personnel tested positive for Covid-19 and 5 died in the last 24 hours, taking total cases to 21,311 in the force including 17,434 recoveries and 222 deaths: Maharashtra Police - ANI

Focus on safety, preparations afoot for low-key Durga puja

With just about a month to go for Durga puja - the biggest annual extravaganza in West Bengal - preparations have begun across the city, albeit at a lower scale this time, as organisers chalk out safety plans to avoid further spread of Covid-19.

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Fire breaks out at Sadguru Covid hospital in Jagatpur of Cuttack district in Odisha

Delhi Police cites DDMA's order, says demonstrations not allowed till September 30 due to Covid-19 pandemic

Citing an order of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), police on Monday said people cannot be allowed to hold demonstrations in the city till September 30 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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As of now, there are around 1m000 ICU beds available in Delhi: Satyendar Jain, Delhi Health Minister -ANI

Covid-19: 91 return to MP from UAE on Vande Bharat flight

An Air India flight carrying 91 Indians, who were stranded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a long time due to the Covid-19 outbreak, arrived here in Madhya Pradesh early Monday morning, an official said.

As part of the central government's Vande Bharat mission, the flight from Dubai landed at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport at 4.15 am, said Amit Malakar, Indore district's nodal officer for Covid-19 prevention.

Puducherry reports 273 new Covid-19 cases, 9 fatalities

Puducherry logged 273 fresh Covid-19 cases on Monday pushing the overall tally in the union territory to 23,191. Nine more people including three women succumbed to the viral infection in the last 24 hours ending 10 am today, Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao told a virtual press conference. He said that the 273 fresh cases were identified at the end of examination of 3,783 samples.

At least 76% of 86,961 new Covid-19 cases in last 24 hours are concentrated in 10 States/UTs. Maharashtra & Andhra Pradesh contributed over 20,000 and 8,000, respectively. Ten States/UTs account for 86% of 1,130 deaths in last 24 hours: 455 in Maharashtra, 101 in Karnataka & 94 in UP: Health Ministry

Covid-19 recovery rate in India crosses 80% mark

India's recovery rate of Covid-19 cases has crossed the 80 per cent mark with over 90,000 recoveries recorded for the third consecutive day, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday. In a statement, the ministry said 93,356 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours. (PTI)

Last in, first out: Female pilots bear brunt of airline job cuts

When Megyn Thompson landed her dream job as a commercial pilot last year, she was one of thousands being recruited globally to boost the number of women in the cockpit and meet record pilot demand.

Now an industry-wide campaign to recruit more female aviators is under threat, dealing a blow to efforts to overhaul the male-dominated airline sector as the coronavirus crisis transforms a shortage into a pilot surplus.

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Thane Covid-19 tally reaches 1,58,703; maximum cases in Kalyan

The novel coronavirus tally in Thane rose to 1,58,703 after detection of 1,781 new cases in the Maharashtra district, an official said on Monday. Besides, the death toll increased to 4,143 as 27 more patients succumbed to the disease on Sunday, he said.

Covid-19 vaccine: Pharma cos committed to 'science first' despite urgency

Vaccine development is a complex process, traditionally it takes as long as 20 years, said Ashish Pal, vice-president of the Singapore Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (SAPI).

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Congress's DK Shivakumar said that party members have put forth 1,600 questions before the Karnataka Assembly. There are a lot of issues to be discussed, among them are issues of corruption, failure in handling Covid-19, GST andrain causing havoc. The eight-day Monsoon Session in Karnataka began today.

Odisha's Covid-19 tally mounts to 1,84,122 with 4,242 new cases and ninefresh fatalities push death toll to 710: Health official

Tripura reports 243 new Covid-19 cases, six more deaths

At least 243 more people tested positive for Covid-19 in Tripura on Monday, pushing the tally in the state to 22,275, a Health department official said. The death toll rose to 245 with six more people succumbing to the infection, he said.

Telangana adds 1,302 new Covid-19 cases, nine deaths take toll to 1,042

Telangana reported 1,302 new Covid-19 cases, pushing the total infection count to 1,72,608, while death toll rose to 1,042 with nine more fatalities. Out of the 1,302 fresh cases, 266 were reported from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), followed by Karimngar (102), Rangareddy (98), Siddipet (92) and other districts, a state government bulletin said on Monday, providing data as of 8 pm on September 20. (PTI)

Strict social distancing, thermal screening: Taj Mahal reopens even as India's Covid-19 cases soar

The world-famous white marble mausoleum in the city of Agra south of New Delhi is India's most popular tourist site. It usually draws seven million visitors a year, but has been closed since March.

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Section 144 CrPC has been imposed in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Ajmer, Alwar, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Udaipur, Sikar, Pali andNagaur districts due to increasing Covid-19 cases.

Covid-19 lockdown chokes India's gold smuggling routes

Illegal shipments of gold to India are estimated to have slowed to a trickle of about 2 tons a month, and may total about 25 tons this year, according to N. Anantha Padmanaban, the chairman of the All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council. That compares with an estimate of as much as 120 tons last year, or about 17% of the nation’s annual demand, according to the World Gold Council.

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'Free money' for banks as investors pile into fractured gold market

Banks are making huge profits from gold as investors flood into a market fractured by the coronavirus crisis. The world's largest 50 investment banks are on track to double their income from precious metals this year to around $2.5 billion, most of it from gold, Coalition, a banking consultancy, told Reuters.

"$1.2 billion was the earnings pool last year. This year we already crossed that number," said Coalition research director Amrit Shahani. (Reuters)

India's Covid-19 case tally at 54.87 lakh with a spike of 86,961 new cases and1,130 deaths in the last 24 hours. The total case tally stands at 54,87,581 including 10,03,299 active cases, 43,96,399 recovered/discharged/migrated & 87,882 deaths, accordingto theMinistry of Health & Family Welfare.

Australia's coronavirus hotspot of Victoria reported on Monday a steady downward trend in daily coronavirus cases, putting the state on course to ease more restrictions by next week. The two-week average rise in cases in Melbourne, the state capital, dropped below 35 on Monday, on track to meet a target of below 50 cases by September 28 when the authorities have said they may relax restrictions in the city.

Total Covid-19 samples tested up to September 20 are 6,43,92,594 including 7,31,534 samples tested yesterday, saysIndian Council of Medical Research.

‘We may be surprised again’: An unpredictable Covid-19 pandemic takes a terrible toll

It is a staggering toll, almost 200,000 people dead from the coronavirus in the United States, and nearly five times that many — close to 1 million people — around the world.

And the pandemic, which sent cases spiking skyward in many countries and then trending downward after lockdowns, has reached a precarious point. Will countries like the United States see the virus continue to slow in the months ahead? Or is a new surge on the way?

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India Inc's business sentiment turns mildly positive: CII

India Inc's business sentiment has turned positive during the July-September quarter, surging to 50.3 from its lowest reading of 41.0 in the previous quarter of April-June as the government gradually unlocked the economy and business activity resumed, according to industry chamber CII's business outlook survey.

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Madhya Pradesh High Court orders that 'political functionaries andother functionaries of state shall strictly abide by Covid-19 protocol prescribed by Centre, state govt and District Magistrates from time to time for regulating the congregation of any nature.

Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths on September 21

The spread of the novel coronavirus in India has quickened in the last few days with new cases of Covid-19 and deaths reported every day. The epidemic has expanded its footprint in the country and has affected over 54 lakh people since the first positive case was confirmed on January 30 in Kerala.

Track state-wise cases here

India now occupies the top position in the world in terms of total recoveries. More than 43 lakhs have recovered. India's recoveries constitute 19% of total global recoveries.

Seven new Covid-19 cases have been reported in Mizoram, taking the total tally to 1,585. The number of active cases is 583 while 1,002 people have been discharged. No death reported in the state till date, saysGovernment of Mizoram.

Taj Mahal reopens even as Covid-19 cases soar

The Taj Mahal reopens to visitors on Monday in a symbolic business-as-usual gesture, even as India looks set to overtake the US as the global leader in coronavirus infections.

India, home to 1.3 billion people and some of the world's most crowded cities, has recorded more than 5.4 million Covid cases. Around 100,000 new infections and over 1,000 deaths are reported daily. (AFP)

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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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.

Good morning readers and welcome to our live coverage of coronavirus cases in India. The country's Covid-19 case tally has crossed the 54.4-lakh mark, while the death toll has passed 87,000 and recoveries 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. Stay tuned for live updates.