India has now hiked its coronavirus (COVID-19) sample testing capacity to over 4 lakh tests per day with 4,20,898 samples tested in the last 24 hours, according to a release issued by the Union Health Ministry on Saturday.

“With this, the Tests Per Million (TPM) has further increased to 11,485 and cumulative testing to 1,58,49,068. This elevated number comes on the heels of 3,50,000 tests having been done every day consistently over the last one week,” added the Ministry.

Also read: Is SARS-CoV-2 a latent virus which can recur?

Here is a list of State Helpline numbers. You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here.

Here are the latest updates:

1:10 p.m. | South Africa

South Africa reports over 12,000 new cases

South Africa has announced more than 12,000 new confirmed coronavirus cases as the total in one of the world’s worst affected countries reaches 434,200 with 6,655 deaths.

South Africa makes up well over half the confirmed cases on the African continent, where experts say the virus could smoulder in areas poorly served by health services.

— AP

1:00 p.m. | New Delhi

Odisha’s COVID-19 tally crosses 25,000-mark

Odisha’s COVID-19 case count crossed the 25,000-mark on Sunday with 1,376 new infections, while the toll mounted to 140 as 10 more patients succumbed to the disease, a health official said.

The state’s tally now stands at 25,389, he said.

Of the fresh cases, 917 were reported from quarantine centres and 459 detected during local contact tracing, according to the official.

— PTI

12.30 p.m. | Chennai

A tribute to frontline workers

The Greater Chennai Corporation is now bringing out a newsletter that dwells on its initiatives relating to COVID-19, and it can be accessed here.

A post on Facebook says that this is the first edition of GCC’s newsletter “The Chennai” and the issue dated July 23 is dedicated to those working on the frontlines in the battle against the novel coronavirus.

11.30 am | Kerala

Local contact cases spiral in Ernakulam

On guard: A police officer checking a motorist in the containment zone at Elamakkara in Kochi on Saturday.  
| Photo Credit: ThulasiKakkat

 

Of the 79 persons who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on Saturday, only four had arrived from outside the State, and all 75 others acquired the infection through local contact.

In an attempt to ensure widespread testing, antigen tests will soon be conducted at primary health centres, said Dr. N.K. Kuttappan, District Medical Officer.

 

11.00 am

Karnataka now second only to Maharashtra in number of active COVID-19 cases in India

After reporting over 5,000 COVID-19 cases for the third consecutive day on Saturday, Karnataka now has the second-highest number of active cases in the country at 55,388, pushing Tamil Nadu to third place. Maharashtra continues to remain in first position with 1.45 lakh active cases.

 

10.30 am

IIT-Kharagpur develops technology for rapid COVID-19 testing

Going local: The device will enable testing at affordable rates among under-served communities, says IIT-Kharagpur.
 

 

Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur ( IIT-KGP) have developed a new technology for low cost COVID-19 tests using a portable device. The test results can be made available in a customised smartphone application for dissemination within one hour without requiring manual interpretation, researchers said.

 

9.45 am

Karnataka Forest Minister tests COVID-19 positive

Karnataka Forest Minister and Ballari in-charge Anand Singh tested positive for COVID-19.

The minister had voluntarily given his throat swab on Friday and the result was out late on Saturday. He has, however, developed no symptoms of the disease thus far and his health condition is stable.

Since he is an asymptomatic patient, he would get isolated and treated at his residence in Hospete, the sources close to Mr. Singh said.

9.30 am

West Bengal’s single-day mortality touches a new high with 42 deaths

West Bengal on Saturday recorded yet again the highest single-day number of deaths due to COVID-19 recording 42, as the State observed a complete lockdown. The deaths now stand at 1,332.

All modes of transport were off the road as police have strictly enforced the lockdown in Kolkata and the districts. There were no flights from the Kolkata airport and very few trains from Howrah and Sealdah. Across the city, police personnel were seen enforcing the lockdown

 

9.00 am

J&K touches 44,744-mark in per million testing

Health workers arrange swab test samples for coronavirus at government hospital in Jammu. File
 
| Photo Credit:
AP

 

Jammu and Kashmir has reached the mark of 44,744 as against 12,742 in the country in per million testing, officials as 523 infections on Saturday pushed the tally to 17,305. A J&K spokesman said the recovery rate in the Union Territory is 53.01%. It is a major dip compared to the figures of 68% last month.

 

8.30 am

Tripura announces three-day complete lockdown from Monday

The Tripura government has imposed a three-day complete lockdown from Monday in view of the surge in the coronavirus infections. The Health department will conduct a house to house-to-house survey and antigen test of suspected patients during the lockdown.

 

8.00 am | Bihar

‘Special family pension’ for dependents of govt staff who die of COVID-19

Security personnel wearing masks guarding the Bihar Assembly in Patna. File photo
 
| Photo Credit: Ranjeet Kumar

 

The Bihar Cabinet on Saturday agreed to give “special family pension” to the dependents of state government staff who die of COVID-19 while on duty, according to an official release.

The dependent of a government employee, who die of COVID-19 while on duty, will be given the benefit of compassionate ground, for getting a job, besides other existing benefits, Cabinet Secretariat Department’s Special Secretary Mithilesh Kumar Singh said in the release.

7.30 am | Andhra Pradesh

Total lockdown today in 3 municipalities

With no respite in the spread of COVID-19 cases in the district, the police authorities have announced a one-day total lockdown in Madanapalle, Puttur and Nagari municipalities on Sunday. After seeing close to 700 cases on Friday, the district tally is racing towards the 8,000 mark, with 68 deaths so far.

The alarming spike in the new cases reported daily since a week has slowly changed the public mood, with fear and uncertainty replacing the earlier relaxed demeanour, particularly in the areas bordering Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

 

7.00 am

T.N. reports highest daily case load, recoveries and deaths

Chennai Corporation health worker takes a swab sample of a person for COVID-19 test in Kodambakkam in Chennai on July 24, 2020
 
| Photo Credit:
B. VELANKANNI RAJ

 

Tamil Nadu on Saturday reported its highest-ever COVID-19 cases, recoveries and deaths on a single day. There were 6,988 fresh cases, 89 deaths and 7,758 recoveries. With the recoveries exceeding the new cases, the number of active cases came down from 53,132 on Friday to 52,273.

The State crossed the 6,000-mark for the third consecutive day, with 22 of the 36 districts reporting more than 100 cases. Of them, 13 had more than 200 cases.