Coronavirus LATEST Updates: Metro rail services may be allowed from 1 September when the ‘Unlock 4’ phase in the graded reopening from the coronavirus-induced lockdown will begin, an official said.

According to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, India has tested more than 3.5 crore people for COVID19  so far, resolutely following its ‘TEST TRACK TREAT’ strategy

The tally of coronavirus cases in India crossed 31 lakh with a rise of 61,408 new cases on Monday, and the recovery rate rose to 75.27 percent with a total of 23,38,035 cured patients recorded so far, the Union health ministry said.

The COVID-19 caseload mounted to 31,06,348, a day after it crossed 30 lakh, while the toll rose to 57,542 with 836 new casualties being reported in a span of 24-hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The COVID-19 case fatality rate has declined to 1.85 percent, the ministry said. The total count of cases includes 7,10,771 active cases, which comprise 22.88 percent of the total caseload.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a cumulative total of 3,59,02,137 samples have been tested up to 23 August with 6,09,917 samples being tested on Sunday.

ML Khattar, Haryana Speaker test COVID-19 positive

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta, and two BJP MLAs tested positive for COVID-19, two days before the Monsoon Session of the Assembly is set to begin.

Khattar’s test report came positive on Monday, six days after he had attended a meeting with Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who was later found infected with the virus.

Khattar was taken to the PGIMER hospital for a detailed check-up in the evening, PTI reported, adding that his condition was stable.

“I was tested for novel coronavirus today. My test report has returned positive. I appeal to all colleagues and associates who came in my contact over the last week to get themselves tested. I request my close contacts to move into strict quarantine immediately,” the chief minister tweeted.

Khattar’s earlier test report came negative for COVID-19 on Thursday, two days after he had attended the meeting with Shekhawat over the Sutlej Yamuna Link canal issue in New Delhi. The chief minister had on Thursday decided to go into home quarantine for three days as a precautionary measure.

Khattar, who is also the Leader of the Assembly, will not be available for the Monsoon Session. He underwent the test on Monday as mandated by the Speaker for all MLAs and Assembly staffers ahead of the session, beginning 26 August.

Speaker Gupta (73) and BJP MLAs Aseem Goel and Ram Kumar also tested positive for COVID-19, the state government said.

Meanwhile, Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant said that the oxygen levels of Union AYUSH minister Shripad Naik dropped on Monday. Naik is also COVID-19 positive.

Sawant added a joint team of doctors from the Command Hospital, New Delhi and AIIMS  will be arriving in Goa on Monday night to take stock of Naik’s medical condition. Naik is an MP from Goa.

The team will decide whether to shift Naik to Delhi for further treatment, Sawant added.

Centre likely to allow metro services to resume from 1 Sept

The Centre is likely to announce ‘Unlock 4’ guidelines this week, PTI reported. The permission to resume metro services across the country from 1 September, is likely to be among the new guidelines. States will, however, take the final call on reopening the rapid transport networks depending on the coronavirus situation there.

Metro services were suspended in late March to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has infected more than 31 lakh people in the country so far.

The ‘Unlock 4’ phase is part of the Centre’s graded lifting of restrictions due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

Meanwhile, schools and colleges may not reopen anytime soon, the report said. Bars, which are so far not allowed to reopen, may be permitted to sell liquor over the counter for takeaway.

The report quoted officials as saying that deliberations are underway on whether to allow reopening of higher educational institutions such as universities, IITs and IIMs.

There is almost no possibility of allowing cinema halls to reopen from 1 September as it will not be commercially viable for film-makers or cinema hall owners to operate following social distancing norm.

In the ‘Unlock 4’ guidelines, the central government will only mention about prohibited activities and the rest can resume. The state governments will take a final call on additional activities that should continue to remain prohibited during the ‘Unlock 4’, the report said.

Hong Kong researchers report first documented coronavirus re-infection

Researchers in Hong Kong documented the first case of a cured coronavirus patient getting reinfected, reports said on Monday.

A man who recovered from COVID-19 was infected for the second time, four and a half months later “in the first documented instance of human re-infection”, researchers at the University of Hong Kong were quoted as saying by Reuters.

“The findings indicate the disease, which has killed more than 800,000 people worldwide, may continue to spread amongst the global population despite herd immunity,” the report said.

SP Balasubrahmanyam tests negative for COVID-19

Singer SP Balasubrahmanyam has tested negative for coronavirus and he is stable and fine, his son SP Charan said on Monday.

“My father is fine and stable and his coronavirus test has tested negative,” he said in a statement. The 74-year old, hugely popular for his singing skills in several languages,was admitted to MGM Healthcare on 5 August after he tested positive for COVID-19.

According to a hospital bulletin issued on 22 August, the playback singer was on ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit.

State-wise cases and deaths

Maharashtra reported 11,015 new cases of COVID-19 and 212 deaths on Monday. The total number of cases in the state now stands at 6,93,398, including 5,02,490 recoveries and 1,68,126 active cases, the state’s health department said.

Tamil Nadu reported 5,967 new COVID-19 cases and 97 deaths, taking total cases to 3,85,352, including 3,25,456 discharges and 6,614 deaths. The number of active cases stands at 53,282, according to the health department.

In Delhi, 1,061 new cases, 1,200 new recoveries, and 13 deaths were reported. The total number of cases are now at 1,62,527, including 1,46,588 recovered cases, 11,626 active cases and 4,313 deaths, the Delhi government said.

Madhya Pradesh reported 1,292 new cases of coronavirus and 17 deaths. The total number of cases are now at 54,421, including 11,944 active cases, 41,231 recoveries and 1,246 deaths.

Punjab reported 1,516 new cases today. The total number of cases rises to 43,284 including 13,798 active cases, 28,357 recovered cases and 1,129 deaths so far, as per the state’s health department.

With inputs from PTI