Coronavirus India live updates: cases, deaths and news
Coronavirus live India: latest news - 18 July
This India Covid-19 live feed is now closed. For all the latest news relating to the pandemic, please follow the new feed for Sunday 19 July here
Corona discount sale: Residents walk past a readymade garment shop displaying a banner reading 'Corona Discount Sale' offer as the country has recorded more than one million COVID-19 coronavirus cases, in Hyderabad on July 18, 2020.
(photo: NOAH SEELAM / AFP)
WHO reports record daily increase in global coronavirus cases for second day in a row
The World Health Organization reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases for the second day in a row, with the total rising by 259,848 in 24 hours.
The biggest increases reported on Saturday were from the United States, Brazil, India and South Africa, according to a daily report. The previous WHO record for new cases was 237,743 on Friday. Deaths rose by 7,360, the biggest one-day increase since May. 10. Deaths have been averaging 4,800 a day in July, up slightly from an average of 4,600 a day in June.
Total global coronavirus cases surpassed 14 million on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, marking another milestone in the spread of the disease that has killed nearly 600,000 people in seven months.
The WHO reported 71,484 new cases in the United States, 45,403 in Brazil, 34,884 in India and 13,373 in South Africa. India on Friday became the third country in the world to record more than 1 million cases of the new coronavirus, behind only the United States and Brazil. Epidemiologists say India is still likely months from hitting its peak.
'Normal life' still a long way away
As global virus cases worldwide top 14 million what we deemed as normal life is a long way off
Partial lockdown in Kerala
The Kerala government has confirmed community spread of Covid-19 in coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram, declaring the affected areas a critical containment zone.
Residents walk past a readymade garment shop displaying a banner reading 'Corona Discount Sale' offer as the country has recorded more than one million Covid-19 coronavirus cases, in Hyderabad. (Photo by NOAH SEELAM / AFP)
Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai, daughter, hospitalised for COVID-19
(Reuters) Aishwarya Rai and her daughter were hospitalised for Covid-19 treatment, the Times of India reported on Saturday, days after her husband and father-in-law were admitted.
Rai's father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan and son Abhishek Bachchan, also major Bollywood celebrities, were admitted to Mumbai's Nanavati Hospital early this week, becoming the highest-profile patients the pandemic sweeping India.
At the same time, Rai, a former Miss World who regularly appears on "most beautiful" lists, and her eight-year-old daughter, Aaradhya Bachchan, tested positive for the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, but they have since been in home quarantine.
Researchers track aerosol generation during surgeries
High-speed imaging and aerodynamic models were used to visualise the generation of droplets during procedures such as cataract and LASIK surgeries. The size of the droplets were identified and the researchers calculated the speed and distance to which they travel.
The studies showed that during most procedures, aerosols are not generated, Saptarshi Basu, professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IISc., and co-author of two papers published in theJournal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, was quoted as saying in an IISc. press release.
Lancet study shows Chandigarh and Panchkula among most equipped regions to battle Covid-19
According to the study, at least 627 out of 640 districts, which is 98 per cent of the districts in India, have now been hit by the pandemic.
The authors of the study state that there is thus a need “to devise a tool for district-level planning and prioritisation and effective allocation of resources”, and this index will allow for such planning to begin from an informed perspective.
Tracking the trends
Unless something can be done to significantly slow the spread of the disease, 1.5 million cases could be reached in less than two weeks.
Country comparisons
Clearly there are always a number of factors at play but these graphs show the differences in official cases between India and Pakistan.
For first time, world records 1 million coronavirus cases in 100 hours
Global coronavirus infections passed 14 million on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, marking the first time there has been a surge of 1 million cases in under 100 hours.
The first case was reported in China in early January and it took three months to reach 1 million cases. It has taken just four days to climb to 14 million cases from 13 million recorded on 13 July.
The number of cases globally is around triple that of severe influenza illnesses recorded annually, according to the World Health Organization.
The Reuters tally, which is based on government reports, shows the disease is accelerating the fastest in the Americas, which account for more than half the world’s infections and half its deaths with the USA and Brazil the worst examples by far.
India, the only other country with more than 1 million cases, has been grappling with an average of almost 30,000 new infections each day for the last week.
Those countries were the main drivers behind the World Health Organization on Friday reporting a record one-day increase in global coronavirus cases of 237,743.
WBCHSE West Bengal Board HS 12th Result 2020: link and how to check
Checking WBCHSE results
The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) released the results for the Higher Secondary, Uccha Madhyamik, Class 12 exam on Friday 17 July.
US passenger flights to resume
The US transportation department has said that the government of India has agreed to allow US air carriers to resume passenger services starting 23 July.
Tamil Nadu top investment destination
Tamil Nadu has emerged as the country’s top investment destination in the first quarter of this financial year, even as overall fresh investment announcements in India slumped to the lowest in five years amidst a period marred by the extended pandemic-induced lockdown.
The southern State accounted for 18.63% of the ₹97,859 crore of investments envisaged to execute 1,241 projects in the country in the first quarter, reckoned Projects Today, an independent firm that tracks investment projects in the country.
‘Should not become super spreader event’
Citing the “alarming exponential surge” in Covid-19 cases across the length and breadth of the state, and the lockdowns that are likely to follow, a host of opposition parties in Bihar wrote to the Election Commission asking it to review if fair and free polls can be held during this raging pandemic.
The letter further underlined the fear among the electorate and the parties that the “poll exercise does not become a super spreader event”.
Covid-19 catch up
Here are some of the stories that have been making the coronavirus headlines over the past 24 hours:
- Odisha's government has decided to implement a lockdown in four districts
- Human trial with Corona vaccine (COVAXIN) of Bharat Biotech started at PGI Rohtak
- A study in The Lancet looked at several key indicators including housing, hygiene and the health system in the states
- Lakshmi Mittal donates 3.2 million pounds to Oxford Jenner Institute
- Bihar, West Bengal and Assam's Kamrup district told to use lockdown "gainfully"
- Domestic airline IndiGo is offering the choice of booking two seats per single passenger to provide additional distancing on board.
India coronavirus latest: 03:30 IST on Saturday 18 July (00:00 CEST)
According to the latest figures published by Johns Hopkins University, 13,927,440 cases have been detected worldwide, with 593,218 deaths and 7,799,879 people recovered.
In India, there have been 1,003,832 confirmed cases and 25,602 deaths, with 635,757 people recovered from the virus.
Coronavirus live India updates: welcome
Hello and welcome to our live, India-focused coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
The country has now seen over one million confirmed cases of Covid-19, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Worldwide the pandemic continues unabated, with nearly 14 million cases and almost 600,000 deaths.