Maharashtra, the country’s biggest coronavirus hotspot, is about to touch the 1 lakh-mark with 97,648 cases.

India reported 10,956 new cases of the novel coronavirus in 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 297,535. This is the first time that the number of cases crossed the 10,000-mark in India.

396 people have also died of the infectious disease in the past 24 hours, data from the Union Health Ministry showed this morning. The total number of COVID-19-related deaths now stand at 8,498. The recovery rate or the chances of people getting better is 49.47per cent.

The coronavirus numbers have been increasing exponentially since the May 24, when India entered the list of top 10. It has just 18 days to reach the fourth slot. India is now only behind Russia, Brazil and the US. Russia currently has 4.93 lakh cases and Brazil 7.72 lakh. The US has the maximum number — more than 20 lakh.

Over the last weeks, the virus has been increasing exponentially, logging more than 9000 cases. The last 24 hours’ increase, 9,996, was the highest ever.

The coronavirus lockdown will not be extended in Delhi, the city government said, rubbishing speculation after a spurt in virus cases over the past few days.

“No, the lockdown will not be extended,” Delhi Health Minister Satyendar on the possibility of the capital returning to a state of total lockdown to check the spiraling COVID-19 cases.

Maharashtra, the country’s biggest coronavirus hotspot, is about to touch the 1 lakh-mark with 97,648 cases. It is followed by Tamil Nadu and Delhi. The national capital has a total of 34,687 cases.

“A video has surfaced showing police and municipal workers carrying the body of a man in a garbage van. This might happened due to the fear of COVID-19,” a senior cop said.

An investigation is underway and action will be taken, a senior police officer said

An investigation has been ordered in an incident in which a body of a likely coronavirus patient was carried in a garbage van of the municipal corporation in Utraula.

“A video has surfaced showing police and municipal workers carrying the body of a man in a garbage van. This might happened due to the fear of COVID-19, but even so, they should have worn PPE kits. An investigation is underway and action will be taken,” Balrampur SP Dev Ranjan Verma told media persons.

“It was a careless and insensitive action on part of the policemen and municipal corporation workers present there. The dead body was carried in a garbage van. Even if the man was infected, then those handing the body should have worn PPE kit. Myself and district magistrate Balrampur saw the entire video,” the SP added.

The incident took place near Tehsil gate in Utraula, Balrampur district. The dead has been identified as Anwar.

The district administration and police have suspended four municipal corporation workers and three policemen in the incident. 

The minister, who hails from the Marathwada region, had attended the cabinet meeting held at the state secretariat in Mumbai earlier this week, the sources said.

MUMBAI: A Maharashtra cabinet minister, who belongs to the NCP, has tested positive for COVID-19, sources said on Friday.

The minister, who hails from the Marathwada region, had attended the cabinet meeting held at the state secretariat here earlier this week, the sources said.

He is the third cabinet member in Maharashtra to test positive for the viral infection.

“It came to light on late Thursday night that the minister has tested positive for the disease.

He has been quarantined in Mumbai,” the sources said.

Apart from the minister, a few members of his personal staff, too, have tested positive for the disease and are being isolated, they said.

Earlier, two cabinet ministers, Ashok Chavan (Congress) and Jitendra Awhad (NCP), had tested positive for the disease and recovered later.

Top officials of the Union Health Ministry asked states to make a district-wise plan for the coming months in view of the lockdown curbs being lifted.

NEW DELHI: As the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases crossed 2.5 lakh mark on Monday morning, the Centre reiterated the need of conducting house-to-house surveys in 38 districts across 10 states that have the highest caseloads.

In a meeting with district and state-level authorities, top officials of the Union Health Ministry asked states to make a district-wise plan for the coming months in view of the lockdown curbs being lifted.The districts that participated in the meeting headed by Union health secretary Preeti Sundan were from Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh.

Main issues discussed were the widespread infection in densely populated urban areas, the importance of house-to-house surveys, prompt testing followed by isolation, clinical management of cases and containment strategy.

The country now has 2,56,611 confirmed cases of which 7,135 have died. Health ministry officials advised states on the measures to be taken in the containment zones for case management and buffer zones surveillance activities and promotion of COVID-appropriate behaviour.

To reduce the fatality rate, the Centre has stressed on measures such as prioritising the high-risk and vulnerable segments like elderly people and people with co-morbidities while contact-tracing to prevent deaths; active surveillance, adequate testing and promoting health-seeking behaviour for timely detection of cases and ensuring prompt shifting of patients without escalating the symptoms.

On the issues of infrastructure and human resource management for the containment of Covid-19, the Centre asked states to carry out proper planning for health infrastructure, deploy an adequate number of surveillance teams and set up a system for communicating bed availability.  It was also stressed that care needs to be given to regular and essential health services.

The Centre also underlined the need for augmentation of the survey teams, efficient ambulance management, efficient triaging of patients at the hospitals and bed management and clinical management of the hospitalised cases through rotational 24X7 teams.

The secretary also suggested to states to involve elected representatives in rural areas for cooperating with the district health authorities for confidence-building and timely accessing of available health services and activating fever clinics for detection of severe acute respiratory illnesses and flu cases in the buffer zones.

Sources said three security men have sustained bullet injuries in the gunfight and have been hospitalized.

SRINAGAR: Four militants were killed in an ongoing gunfight with security forces in militancy-hit Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.

With these killings, nine militants have been killed in two encounters with security forces in Shopian district, which has emerged as stronghold of militants after killing of Hizb commander Burhan Wani in July 2016.

A police official said acting on specific information about presence of militants, a joint contingent of J&K police’s Special Operations Group, CRPF and army laid siege around Pinjoora village in Shopian late last night.

He said in the early hours today, security personnel launched house to house searches in the village to track down the militants hiding there.

“While the searches were going on, militants hiding in the area fired volume of fire towards the security men. The fire was returned by the troops, triggering an encounter,” the official said.

He said in the ensuing gunfight, four militants have been killed so far.

Sources said three security men have sustained bullet injuries in the gunfight and have been hospitalized.

The operation was going on when reports last poured in, a police official said.

This is the second encounter in Shopian district in recent times. On Sunday, five militants of Hizbul Mujahideen including a commander were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Reban area of Shopian district.

The deceased militant commander was identified as Farooq Asad Nalli, who had joined militancy in 2015 and was wanted by security agencies for attacks on security forces.