New Delhi: India’s COVID-19 tally increased to 18,55,745 with 52,050 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, while the recoveries crossed the 12-lakh mark on Tuesday, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The death toll due to COVID-19 climbed to 38,938 with 803 fresh fatalities being reported in 24-hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

A total of 12,30,509 people have recovered, while there are 5,86,298 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country presently.

The recovery rate among COVID-19 patients has risen to 66.31 per cent, while the fatality rate has further dropped to 2.10 pc, the data stated.

The total number of confirmed cases also includes foreigners. This is the sixth consecutive day that COVID-19 cases have increased by more than 50,000

According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 2,08,64,750 samples have been tested up to August 2 with 6,61,892 samples being tested on Monday, the highest done in a day so far, Scientist and media coordinator at ICMR, Dr Lokesh Sharma, said.

“A total of 1,05,32,074 tests for detection of coronavirus infection have been performed with per day average of 3,39,744 tests in July, the highest number of tests conducted in a month so far,” Sharma said.

There are 917 labs in the government sector and 439 labs in the private sector for conducting COVID-19 tests.

Ram Mandir Bhumi Pujan: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will first visit the Hanumangarhi temple when he arrives in the Uttar Pradesh holy town on the banks of the river Saryu.

Ayodhya Ram Temple: PM Modi and four other persons will be on the stage for the mega event organised

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to spend around three hours tomorrow in Ayodhya, where he will perform groundbreaking rituals for a Ram Temple.

PM Modi and four other persons will be on the stage for the mega event organised in the middle of the country’s fight against the coronavirus.

The Prime Minister will first visit the Hanumangarhi temple when he arrives in the Uttar Pradesh holy town on the banks of the river Saryu.

According to Ram Temple trust officials, PM Modi will proceed to the site of the temple, which thousands of devotees believe was the spot where Lord Ram was born. He will offer prayers to “Ram Lalla” or the idol of infant Ram before going to the stage where the groundbreaking ceremony will take place.

The PM will lay a 40-kg silver brick to symbolise the start of construction of the Ram Temple that is core to the ruling BJP’s ideology and poll promises. A campaign for the temple marked the rise of the party to the national spotlight in the 1990s.

Religious rituals ahead of the event started yesterday.

Barricades are in place and only those who have received security coded invites – around 175 guests – will be allowed in the “Bhoomi Pujan” ceremony.

A dozen priests on Monday performed prayers dedicated to Lord Ganesh and other deities connected to Lord Ram and Sita.

Among the 175 invitees to tomorrow’s function are 135 priests and spiritual leaders.

Iqbal Ansari, a litigant in the decades-old temple-mosque dispute, was the first person to be invited. “I will certainly attend it. The dispute is over now after the court verdict,” Mr Ansari said. His father Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant in the case, died in 2016.

The Ram Temple will be built after years of dispute over the 2.77 acre site where the 16th century Babri mosque stood before it was razed in 1992 by Hindu activists who believed it was built on the ruins of an ancient temple marking the birthplace of Lord Ram.

In November, the Supreme Court said the site would be handed over for the building of a temple and an alternative five-acre site would be given to Muslims.

Chennai: The Centre will not impose any language on any state through the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Union Minister for Education Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said on Sunday.

Nishank’s clarification, through a tweet in Tamil, comes in the backdrop of opposition to NEP in Tamil Nadu on the grounds that the policy allegedly imposed Hindi and Sanskrit.

In his tweet to former Union Minister from the state Pon Radhakrishnan, Nishank said he was looking forward to the guidance of the ex-central minister in implementing NEP in Tamil Nadu.

“I once again like to insist that the Central government will not impose any language on any state,” he said.

The M K Stalin-led DMK and many opposition parties in Tamil Nadu have opposed NEP and want a review of the sweeping reforms it has proposed.

On Saturday, the DMK chief said the policy was an attempt at alleged imposition of Hindi and Sanskrit and vowed to fight against it by joining hands with like-minded political parties and Chief Ministers of other states.

The reforms were not a new education policy but “a glossy coat on the old oppressive Manusmriti,” he said.

Patna: The flood situation in Bihar worsened on Sunday as water from overflowing rivers inundated fresh areas, while a total of 53.67 lakh people across 14 districts were affected, the Disaster Management Department said here.

No fresh casualty was reported and the number of people who died in flood-related incidents stood at 13.

The number of people affected by the deluge has gone up by 4.62 lakh since Saturday, though that of the district remained at 14, the department said in a bulletin.

The number of panchayats hit by the calamity, however, rose to 1,059 from 1,043 on the previous day.

It said that an embankment of Tirhut canal breached in the early hours of Sunday inundating at least a dozen villages in Muraul block of Muzaffarpur district. Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed at the site.

With 16.89 lakh flood-affected people, Muzaffarpur is the worst-hit district, followed by 12.40 lakh people in Darbhanga and 8.09 lakh in East Champaran.

More than half of the affected populace live in Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga districts.

Of the 13 deaths in flood-related incidents, Darbhanga registered the highest seven casualties, followed by four in West Champaran and two in Muzaffarpur.

A total of 20 teams of the NDRF and 11 of the SDRF are involved in the rescue operations and they have evacuated 4.03 lakh people from the affected areas so far, the bulletin said.

It said that 26,734 people are staying in 19 relief camps while nearly 9.29 lakh people were being fed at 1,385 community kitchens in the affected districts.

Rivers such as Baghmati, Burhi Gandak, Kamlabalan, Adhwara, Khiroi, Mahananda and Ghaghra are flowing above the danger level at various places.

The Met Department has forecast light rain in the catchment areas of all rivers flowing in the state on Monday.

The 14-flood affected districts are Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Supaul, Kishanganj, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, West Champaran, East Champaran, Khagaria, Saran, Samastipur, Siwan and Madhubani.

State reports less than 6,000 cases after a week; govt to wait and watch till August 31,  says the Chief Minister

CHENNAI: On a day when the State Covid tally climbed down from the 6,000-mark after a week’s gap, the government announced the extension of lockdown till August 31 with a few more relaxations. The decision was taken following a meeting of health experts chaired by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami at the Secretariat on Thursday.

“Though the pace of infection has come down owing to the lockdown and intense testing, the government has decided to extend the lockdown to contain the virus further,” Palaniswami said. The State on Thursday reported 5,864 cases, a substantial decline from the 6,426 reported on Wednesday. However, the toll touched an all-time high of 97.

In a big relief to the city folk, the government has permitted e-commerce firms to resume operations. However, public transport will not become operational anytime soon. A complete lockdown will continue on all Sundays across the State, and large social, political and religious gatherings will continued to be banned, said the Chief Minister.     

Small places of worship, except those located in municipal corporations, can now be opened up for public. All educational institutions, training centres, research centres, malls, film theatres, gyms, swimming pools, beaches, tourist spots, zoos and museums will remain shut till August 31.

“The government will continue to monitor the infection rate and more relaxations will be announced in due course, depending on the situation and people’s cooperation,” the Chief Minister said. Chennai reported 1,175 fresh cases, while its neighbouring districts witnessed a dip in numbers — Chengalpattu (354), Kancheepuram (175), and Tiruvallur (325). 

The Chief Minister also said that e-pass will be necessary, as before, for inter-district and inter-State movement. Independence Day will be celebrated as per the guidelines issued by the Centre, following all safety protocols. The reduction in Statewide tally is seen as a positive sign as the number had been hovering over 6,000 since July 23. Among other districts, Coimbatore reported 303 cases, Tirunelveli 277, Kanniyakumari 248, Ranipet 272, Theni 261, Virudhunagar 244, Madurai and Thoothukudi 220 each. Seven other districts also reported over 100 cases. 

Over 5K cured, nearly 60K tested on Thursday

Recovery rate across Tamil Nadu continued to remain impressive with 5,295 patients being discharged on the day, taking the number of cured people to 1,78,178. With the State continuing to test over 50,000 people on a daily basis, the total number of people tested crossed the 25-lakh mark. On Thursday, a total of 59,437 people were tested, taking the total to 25,01,919. Among the deceased, eight persons did not have co-morbidities. Two of the deceased were girls, aged three and five.

The five-year-old girl from Ariyalur died on July 27 at 3.30 pm, when she was brought to Thanjavur Medical College Hospital, the bulletin said. She died due to respiratory failure, acute encephalitis syndrome, aspiration pneumonia and viral pneumonia.

The three-year-old from Nagapattinam was brought to Government Tirvarur Medical College and Hospital. She was suffering from seizure and cerebral palsy. She tested positive on July 9 and died on July 13 due to status epilepticus, aspiration pneumonia, failure to thrive, cerebral palsy and seizure.

25,01,919 Total number of people tested in Tamil Nadu

More relaxations based on situation
The government will continue to monitor the infection rate and more relaxations will be announced, depending on the situation and people’s cooperation, the CM said

The death toll increased to 35,747 with 779 fatalities being reported in 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

NEW DELHI: With a record single-day surge of 55,078 infections, India’s COVID-19 caseload raced past 16 lakh on Friday, just two days after it reached the 15-lakh mark, while the number of recoveries rose to 10,57,805, according to Union Health Ministry data.

The country has so far registered 16,38,870 instances of the coronavirus infection.

The death toll increased to 35,747 with 779 fatalities being reported in 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

This is the second consecutive day that COVID-19 cases have increased by more than 50,000.

The total number of confirmed cases also includes foreigners.

There are 5,45,318 active COVID-19 cases in the country.

The recovery rate rose to 64.54 per cent while the fatality rate dropped further to 2.18 per cent.

As per the Union Health Ministry, Maharashtra has a total of 1,48,454 active cases and recorded 14,729 deaths due to COVID-19.

Tamil Nadu has a total of 57,962 active cases and 3,838 deaths in the state.

Delhi has a total of 10,743 active cases and 3,936 deaths.

The Indian Council of Medical Research on Friday informed that a total number of COVID-19 samples tested up to 30th July is 1,88,32,970 including 6,42,588 samples tested yesterday.

Non-communicable Diseases are estimated to account for 63 pc of all deaths in India and these are expected to rise further.

NEW DELHI: Smokers are likely to be more vulnerable to COVID-19 as smoking increases possibility of transmission of virus from hand to mouth, the Union Health Ministry has said, warning that use of tobacco products can increase severity of respiratory infections and make people susceptible to coronavirus.

In its document ‘COVID-19 Pandemic and Tobacco Use in India’, the ministry said experts have confirmed that smokers are more likely to develop severe symptoms or die from COVID-19, as it primarily attacks the lungs and warned against use of any such products.Smokers, it warned, are likely to be more vulnerable to COVID-19 as the act of smoking means that fingers (and possibly contaminated cigarettes) are in contact with lips which increases the possibility of transmission of virus from hand to mouth.”Further smoking products such as water pipes or hookah often involve the sharing of mouth-pieces and hoses, which could facilitate the transmission of COVID-19 in communal and social settings,” the ministry said.Tobacco use is a major risk factor for the four main Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic lung disease and diabetes, which puts people with these conditions at higher risk for developing severe illness when affected by COVID-19.NCDs are estimated to account for 63 pc of all deaths in India and these are expected to rise further.The chemicals in tobacco smoke suppress the activity of different types of immune cells that are involved in general and targeted immune responses.”Smoking impairs lung function, thereby reducing the immunity and making it harder for the body to fight off various diseases. Smoking, e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, pan masala and the like products use can increase risk and severity of pulmonary infections because of damage to upper airways and a decrease in pulmonary immune function,” it said.

Evidence from countries reporting coronavirus infection-related fatalities has highlighted that the people with pre-existing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are more susceptible to becoming severely ill with COVID-19, the document stated.Tobacco use poses a significant risk by accelerating the transmission of COVID-19 because the virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes.Chewing tobacco products (khaini, gutkha, paan, zarda) increases the urge to spit.Spitting in public places increases health risks especially those of spreading the infectious and contagious diseases like, COVID-19, tuberculosis, swine flu, encephalitis, etc, the ministry underlined.

“The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare warns against the use of any tobacco products,” it said, adding within 12 hours of quitting, the carbon monoxide level in the bloodstream drops to normal.Within 2-12 weeks, circulation improves and lung function increases.

Jaipur: The Bahujan Samaj Party on Wednesday filed a writ petition in the Rajasthan High Court challenging the merger of six BSP MLAs with the ruling Congress in Rajasthan.

Sandeep Yadav, Wajib Ali, Deepchand Kheria, Lakhan Meena, Jogendra Awana and Rajendra Gudha contested and won the 2018 assembly elections on BSP tickets.

They all defected to the Congress in September 2019.

BSP state president Bhagwan Singh Baba said, We have today filed a writ petition in the high court against the merger of BSP MLAs with Congress”.

The merger of BSP MLAs with the ruling Congress was a boost to the Ashok Gehlot-led government as the tally of the Congress increased to 107 in the house of 200.

Ambala: The first batch of five Rafale jets are scheduled to land at the Ambala air base here on Wednesday afternoon with police tightening the security around the air force station.

The squadron of Rafale jets will be stationed at the Ambala air base in Haryana.

The jets took off from the Merignac airbase in French port city of Bordeaux on Monday and will arrive here after covering a distance of 7,000 km with air-to-air refuelling and a single stop in the United Arab Emirates.

The fleet of five jets comprises three single-seater and two twin-seater aircraft. Authorities have imposed prohibitory orders near the Ambala Air Force Station, banning shooting of videos and photography.

The Ambala district administration has also prohibited people from flying private drones within the three-km radius of the air base, officials said earlier.

Section 144, which prohibits assembly of four or more people, has been imposed in the villages adjoining the air base, including Dhulkot, Baldev Nagar, Garnala and Panjkhora.

Ambala deputy commissioner Ashok Kumar Sharma said shooting of videos or taking photographs of the boundary wall of the air base and its adjoining areas will remain strictly prohibited during the imposition of the prohibitory orders.

Meanwhile, the Haryana Police has set up several check barricades and police officers were seen patrolling residential localities near the air base, making announcements over loudspeakers warning people not to stand on the rooftop of their houses to click pictures or shoot videos.

Violators would face punishment as per the law, they warned.

At many places here, hoardings have been erected to welcome the arrival of the fighter jets with some of these mentioning that their induction will further boost IAF’s capabilities.

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday said the people of Ambala are very enthusiastic about the arrival of the jets.

This is a very proud and a historic moment for us that the Rafale jets will be stationed in Ambala Cantonment area. Rafales are IAF’s ‘Sikandar’, which will significantly boost our combat capabilities, he said.

He said had there not been the threat of coronavirus pandemic, thousands would have gathered in the streets to welcome the jets.

Nearly four years ago, India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to purchase 36 Rafale jets under a Rs 59,000-crore deal to boost the IAF’s combat capabilities.

The five Rafales are scheduled to be inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday, though a formal induction ceremony would be held later.

The jets will be inducted into the IAF as part of its No 17 Squadron, also known as the ‘Golden Arrows’. The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons.

European missile maker MBDA’s Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile and Scalp cruise missile will be the mainstay of the weapons package of the Rafale jets.

Of the 36 jets, 30 will be fighter jets and six will be trainers. The trainer jets will be twin-seater and they will have almost all the features of the fighter jets. The IAF has undertaken major infrastructure upgrades at the Ambala base for the deployment of the first Rafale squadron.

Built in 1948, the air base is located on the east side of Ambala and is used for military and government flights.

The air base has two squadrons of the Jaguar combat aircraft and one squadron of the MIG-21 ‘Bison’. Air Force Marshal Arjan Singh was the first commander of the base.

The Mirage fighters that were used for the air strike in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019 after the Pulwama terror attack had taken off from here.

Maanyata, who is away from Sanjay Dutt on his birthday, sent an adorable greeting on social media

On Sanjay Dutt’s 61st birthday, the actor’s wife Maanyata and his daughter Trishala wished him in the best way possible. Maanyata, who is currently staying in Dubai (going by her recent Instagram posts) with her 9-year-old twins Shahraan and Iqra, shared an adorable picture with her husband on her Instagram profile on Wednesday morning. In the picture, the couple can be seen twinning in black outfits. She wrote in the caption: “Happy birthday love …..Love you.” She accompanied her post with the hashtags #missingyou #godbless, #love, #positivity, #birthdaymonth and #beautifullife. As of now, Sanjay Dutt, who is currently in Mumbai, hasn’t responded to Maanyata’s post but we would love to see his reaction.

Meanwhile, Trishala (Sanjay Dutt’s daughter with his first wife Richa Sharma), who stays with her grandparents in the US, shared a throwback picture of the actor from his young days and she wrote in the greeting: “Happy Birthday Papa Dukes. May God bless you with a long, happy and healthy life. I love you so much. To infinity and beyond, always and forever. Cheers Pops! FaceTime you in a bit! LOL – Have a beautiful day! #birthdayboy #leo #lionking #loveyou.”

Screenshot of Trishala Dutt’s Instagram post.

Sanjay Dutt was last seen in Ashutosh Gowariker’s period drama Panipat, co-starring Arjun Kapoor and Kriti Sanon. The actor’s impressive line-up of films includes KGF Chapter 2, Torbaaz, Sadak 2 and Bhuj: The Pride Of India. The actor will also be seen in Shamshera, co-starring Ranbir Kapoor and Vaani Kapoor. He has also signed Prithviraj, co-starring Akshay Kumar and Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar.

Maanyata Dutt produced Sanjay Dutt’s 2019 film Prassthanam, which also featured Jackie Shroff, Manisha Koirala, Ali Fazal, Chunky Panday, Amyra Dastur and Satyajeet Dubey.