Coronavirus India live updates: cases, deaths and news, today
Coronavirus live India: latest Covid-19 news - Wednesday 17 June
India Covid-19 update: 00:30 IST on Thursday 18 June (21:00 CEST on Wednesday 17 June)
According to the latest figures published by Johns Hopkins University, 8,266,693 cases have been detected worldwide, with 445,541 deaths and 4,020,807 people have recovered.
In India, there have been 354,065 cases confirmed, 11,903 people have died and 186,935 people have recovered from the virus.
These numbers have been getting attention anyway. The underreporting of them could make it a lot worse.
It is unclear what the changes will be but many countries being exposed for being behind inadequately prepared and will need to change.
There is continuing controversy around the world, and in India, surrounding the death tallies. This has become a political issue with leaders trying to hide the real numbers. It has a knock-on effect as people are left in the dark over the real dangers of the virus.
An update on Bengaluru and the number of containment zones in the city. A total of 208 as of 17 June.
A constable of the Mumbai Police succumbed to Covid-19 on Tuesday night, taking the toll in the city police department to 30.
People who had their car number plates recorded in the area of the Xinfadi market where a new COVID-19 coronavirus cluster emerged last week, wait to do swab tests for the coronavirus after being transported with buses to a testing centre in Beijing on June 17, 2020. - China closed schools in Beijing and restricted air travel from the capital on June 17 to halt an outbreak of coronavirus cases and dampen fears of a second wave, as India's death toll spiked. (Photo by GREG BAKER / AFP)
Modi plays tribute to the fallen in Eastern Ladakh
The Indian PM spoke to the nation and paid tribute to the 20 Indian soldiers killed in Chinese transgression in eastern Ladakh.
An Indian health worker conducts a check-up for Covid-19 on resident at Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar, in Mumbai, on Wednesday.
According to the most recent figures released by the Indian health ministry, the state of Maharashtra - the worst affected in the country - has accounted for just over 113,000 of India's more than 350,000 confirmed coronavirus cases.
(Photo: EFE/EPA/DIVYAKANT SOLANKI)
"India's healthcare system is being ravaged by the virus"
The BBC’s Roxy Gadgekar, whose brother-in-law was killed by Covid-19, says the Indian health service has "failed my family" as he describes an experience which, he declares, "showed us just how much India’s healthcare system is being ravaged by the virus":
Germany, France warn citizens amid record death-toll rise
A health official collects a swab sample from a man to test for the coronavirus at a temporary testing centre at a hotel in New Delhi. India's official coronavirus death toll leapt by more than 2,000 on Wednesday as the country struggles to contain a ballooning health crisis that has overwhelmed hospitals.
The news came as Germany urged its nationals in India to consider leaving for their own safety, while France warned its citizens in New Delhi to stay home unless going to an airport to return to Europe.
(Photo by XAVIER GALIANA / AFP)
Foreign Muslims charged with India lockdown violation over Delhi gathering
More than 2,500 foreign Muslims have been detained for over two months and charged with violating coronavirus lockdown measures after attending a gathering organised by the Muslim organisation Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi in March, the Guardian reports.
India’s government has agreed to release them if they admit they are guilty of visa violations and of flouting lockdown orders, but Shamsul, a British Muslim among those detained, told the UK newspaper: “We haven’t done anything wrong. We don’t deserve to be treated like this.”
The frontline workers
UNICEF attempt to focus minds on those trying to help the country through the pandemic.
China-backed AIIB approves $750 million loan for India's Covid-19 response
The project, co-financed by the Asian Development Bank, aims to strengthen economic aid for businesses, expand social safety nets and bolster healthcare.
Delhi ACP’s husband dies of Covid-19
Assistant Commissioner of Delhi Police Surender Jeet Kaur says he is distraught on learning that her husband Charan Jeet Singh, 54, died after contracting Covid-19 in Delhi, The Indian Express reports.
“My husband didn’t step out of the house when the lockdown started, but I went out daily because of my job… I will never be able to forgive myself,” she explained. Singh tested positive on 25 May and had been in Indraprastha Apollo hospital.
Mumbai revises official Covid-19 death toll
At least 451 deaths of Covid-19 patients in Mumbai were not reported by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a massive data reconciliation exercise by Maharashtra government has shown.
As of Monday, Mumbai had 59,293 cases and 2,250 deaths (of Maharashtra’s total of 1.10 lakh cases and 4,128 deaths). BMC data show eight other Covid-19 patients died of some other illness.
Dexamethasone shown to save lives of Covid-19 patients
The cheap and wideliy available steroid dexamethasone is a major breakthrough in the fight against the deadly virus, according to reports in the UK media. It cut the risk of death by a third for patients on ventilators. For those requiring oxygen assistance, it cut deaths by a fifth. Had the drug had been used to treat patients in the UK from the start of the pandemic, up to 5,000 lives could have been saved, researchers say.
The focus now in India is reducing Covid-19 deaths
India is now registering over 52% recovery rate from Covid-19 infection and the focus has turned to lowering the number of people dying from the virus. The recovery rate is now above the infection rate which is positive news - managing fatalities could be boosted by the emergence of steroid Dexamethasone which has shown to be effective in successfully treating over a third of patients who are on ventilators.
Lockdown restrictions eased but cases are still rising in India
India is easing lockdown restrictions in phases, with some restrictions set to continue till the end of June 2020. But work is resuming, and in cities like Mumbai and Delhi, people are already on the streets – getting back to work in measured ways – and it is getting crowded.
Giridhar R Babu, professor and head of Life Course Epidemiology at the Public Health Foundation of India, gave a few thoughts on to stay safe to Scroll: "I think the time has come now to start preparing in terms of how I would want to go out and start working. For that, there are three Cs which we should be taking care of: closed spaces, crowded places and close-contact settings. I need to follow precautions for all the three Cs, so that I am safe. And if I am infected, others are also safe from me.
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Coronavirus India live updates - welcome
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the developing coronavirus situation in India. Throughout the day we'll be aiming to keep you informed of the situation and latest breaking news across the country.