Coronavirus India news summary: cases and deaths - 1 July
Coronavirus live: India latest news - 2 July 2020
This live India Covid-19 blog is now closed. For all the latest news and developments relating to the pandemic, please follow the new 2 July feed here.
‘Chasing the virus’: How Mumbai’s Dharavi beat back a pandemic
When coronavirus claimed its first victim in India’s largest slum in April, many feared the disease would turn its narrow, congested streets into a graveyard, with social distancing or contact tracing all but impossible.
But three months on, Mumbai’s Dharavi offers a rare glimmer of hope with new infections shrinking, thanks to an aggressive strategy that focused on “chasing the virus, instead of waiting for disaster”, according to city official Kiran Dighavkar.
In a desperate measure to check the rapid spread of Corona virus cases in the city, the Mumbai police today imposed section 144 in the metropolis. The section prohibits presence or movement of one or more persons in public places or gathering of any sort till July 15 unless withdrawn earlier.
* India’s unemployment rate in June fell to 11% from 23.5% in May as economic activities resumed after government eased restrictions.
Here is a look at India's deaths by day as they steadily rise.
A wedding in India that hosted hundreds of guests has become a super-spreader of infection, with 113 people reported to have tested positive since the ceremony last month.
The groom, who was not tested for the virus, was reported to have had a high fever in the lead up to the wedding, which took place in the Paliganj subdivision of the Patna district in the Bihar state of eastern India.
Medical staff hands over certificates and flowers to patients (C) recovered from the COVID-19 coronavirus after their discharge on the occasion of the Indian National Doctors' Day at a hospital in Siliguri on July 1, 2020. (Photo by Diptendu DUTTA / AFP)
Misinformation is proving to be fatal
Covid-19 patients are dying by suicide, but so are those who have not gotten tested or those whose results were negative. This report looks at one of the reasons why.
India's PM Garib Kalyan Yojana extended: info & where to apply
Relief package extension confirmed
The Indian has government announced the extension of the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana relief package, to help people cope with the impact of Covid-19.
Watch: WHO media briefing
The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently holding a media briefing on the coronavirus pandemic. You can watch it here:
A man applies a self-disinfecting coating on surfaces inside the Sikh shrine Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi on Wednesday, as a preventative measure against the spread of the coronavirus.
(Photo: EFE/EPA/STR)
"Help them help you better"
In a National Doctor’s Day post thanking medical workers for their "invaluable service to the country in the fight against Covid-19", the Indian Ministry of Health has published this video urging people in the country to support frontline workers by following government guidelines amid the pandemic.
"Every time you wash you hands, she knows her hard work matters; every time you wear a mask, you make his efforts count […]. Help them help you better," the video tells viewers.
Battling the Covid-19 spread in Mumbai
A healthcare worker checks the temperature of a resident in a slum area in Mumbai on Wednesday, during a medical campaign working to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The state of Maharashtra, of which Mumbai is the capital, remains India's worst-affected. According to figures released by the country's health ministry on Wednesday, there have now been 174,761 positive tests in the state, leading to 4,878 deaths.
(Photo: REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas)
"India salutes our doctors"
To mark National Doctor's Day, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shared this video paying tribute to the medical staff "who are at the forefront of a spirited fight against Covid-19".
National Doctor's Day is held on 1 July in India to coincide with the anniversary of the birth and death of Dr Bidhan Chandra Rhoy, a renowned physician who also served as chief minister of West Bengal from 1948 until his death in 1962.
Frontline workers recognised on National Doctor's Day
Healthcare workers in Kolkata are showered with flower petals on Wednesday, which is National Doctor's Day in India, as residents show their gratitude towards frontline staff fighting the coronavirus.
(Photo: REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri)
India registers biggest single-day rise in deaths
India reported 507 new coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday, the country's biggest single-day increase in fatalities since the pandemic began. In all, there have now been 17,400 deaths as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, the Indian health ministry said.
Not everyone in India is impressed with PM Modi
Indian Prime Minister Modi coming under-fire in certain quarters as cases in India show no sign of slowing down.
Inovio's COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows promise in small early-stage trial
An experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc showed promise and was found to be safe in an early-stage human trial, the company said on Tuesday.
The vaccine, one of 17 being tested in humans and part of the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed program, induced immune responses in 34 of the 36 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 50 years, Inovio said.
The company, however, did not disclose more details on the exact response the vaccine induced, saying the full data will be published in a peer-reviewed medical journal later.
Shares of the company fell 10.1% to $28.49 as Wall Street analysts said the initial data provided only a limited look into the vaccine's effects.
Immune responses in the study were measured by the vaccine's ability to generate binding antibodies, or virus-neutralizing antibodies, and T-cell responses, two metrics considered vital for a successful vaccine.
India recovery rate at almost 60 percent
India has garnered praise for its overall recovery rate (and fatality rate, which is well below the international average) and the Ministry of Health has stated that the number of people recovering from coronavirus after medical care now stands at almost 60 percent.
Police personnel gesture to a vehicle carrying Indian High Commission officials directed to a quarantine facility amid concerns over the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus as they returned to India near the India-Pakistan Wagah border post, about 35 km from Amritsar. (Photo by NARINDER NANU / AFP)
Modi warns of coronavirus 'negligence' as some cities extend lockdowns
(Reuters) India's prime minister on Tuesday warned citizens against flouting rules to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, as he extended a vast social security scheme until November.
Several Indian cities prepared to extend their lockdowns to combat the spread of the infection on Tuesday, with daily new cases in the country remaining close to 20,000.
"Ever since (easing of restrictions) started in the country, negligence in personal and social behaviour has been increasing," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a televised address, adding citizens were ignoring guidelines on social distancing and hand washing.
India cases spike in June
The number of coronavirus cases in June as opposed to May has experts concerned about the rapid spread of the disease.
Maharashtra cases rise
Nearly 5,000 new cases of coronavirus were reported in Maharashtra over the past 24 hours.
Inovio Covid-19 vaccine candidates showing promise in early trial
An experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc showed promise and was found to be safe in an early-stage human trial, the company said on Tuesday.
The vaccine, one of 17 being tested in humans and part of the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed program, induced immune responses in 34 of the 36 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 50 years, Inovio said. The company, however, did not disclose more details on the exact response the vaccine induced, saying the full data will be published in a peer-reviewed medical journal later.
Coronavirus: the complete guide to the Covid-19 pandemic
Coronavirus: the complete guide to the Covid-19 pandemic
All the information you need to understand the coronavirus and ways to stay safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Coronavirus live India updates: welcome
Hello and welcome to our live, India-focused coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, which as of Wednesday morning IST had registered over 10.4 million cases and more than 509,000 deaths worldwide, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
There have been over 566,000 confirmed cases in India, a total count that puts the country below only the US, Brazil and Russia - and almost 17,000 deaths.