(Contains Press releases concerning Covid-19, issued in last 24 hours, inputs from PIB Field Offices and Fact checks undertaken by PIB)

India’s Total Recoveries cross 14.2 lakh; Recovery Rate continues to improve, stands at 68.32% today; National Case Fatality Rate further dips to 2.04%

Compared globally, India has one of the lowest cases per million at 1469 as against the global average of 2425. the CFR has been low when compared to the global scenario and it has continued to fall progressively. The Case Fatality Rate stands at 2.04% today. With focused efforts to reduce mortalities due to COVID-19, India has registered one of the lowest deaths per million at 30 as compared to the global average of 91 deaths per million. There has been a sharp increase in COVID-19 recoveries. With 48,900 patients discharged in the last 24 hours, India’s total recoveries from COVID-19 has reached 14,27,005. The recovery rate, on a steady upward rise, stands at 68.32%. The active cases, which are the actual case load for India at 6,19,088 today account for 29.64% of total positive cases. Expanded diagnostic lab network & facilitation for easy testing across the country has resulted in India testing total of 2,33,87,171 samples for COVID-19 infection. 5,98,778 tests were conducted in last 24 hours. The Tests Per Million has seen a sharp increase to 16947 today. With 936 labs in the government sector and 460 private labs, India has 1396 labs for COVID-19 testing.

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Centre directs the States to focus all efforts on reducing COVID-19 mortality

Coordinated, graded and pro-active management of COVID-19 by the Union and State/UT governments has ensured the national Case Fatality Rate (CFR) is on the slide. It currently stands at 2.04%. As part of the continuous process of review and handholding of States/UTs for collaborative management of COVID-19, two high level virtual meetings were chaired by Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Health Secretary on 7^th and 8^th August to engage with the States reporting with high case load and higher CFR than the national average, in order to advise and support them on efforts to prevent and reduce mortality due to COVID-19. Today’s meeting focused on 13 districts concentrated in eight States/UT. These are Kamrup Metro in Assam; Patna in Bihar; Ranchi in Jharkhand; Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala; Ganjam in Odisha; Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh; 24 Paraganas North, Hooghly, Howrah, Kolkata and Maldah in West Bengal; and Delhi. These districts account for nearly 9% of India's active cases and about 14% of COVID deaths. They also report low tests per million and high confirmation percentage. The States were advised to address the issues of low lab utilisation i.e. less than 100 tests per day for RT-PCR and 10 for others; low tests per million population; decrease in absolute tests from last week; delay in test results; and high confirmation percentage among the health care workers. They were advised to ensure timely referral and hospitalization in view of reports from some districts of patients dying within 48 hrs of admission.

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Health Ministry engages with Districts reporting Higher COVID-19 Mortality

Those districts that are reporting COVID-19 mortality higher than the national and states’ average are a cause of concern. As part of Centre-State coordinated strategy for effective containment and management of the COVID-19 pandemic, a high level virtual meeting was chaired by Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Health Secretary yesterday to engage with the district and State administration to analyse the factors driving the high COVID-19 mortality in these districts and devise ways and means to reduce the mortality. These include 16 districts in four States viz. Ahmedabad and Surat in Gujarat; Belagavi, Bengaluru urban, Kalaburagi and Udupi in Karnataka; Chennai, Kanchipuram, Ranipet, Theni, Thiruvallur, Tiruchirappalli, Tuticorin and Virudhnagar in Tamil Nadu; Hyderabad and Medchal Malkajgiri in Telangana. Apart from the higher case mortality, these districts account for 17% of India’s active cases, high daily new cases, low tests per million, and high confirmation percentage. The districts were advised to ensure that the advisories, guidelines and clinical treatment protocols issued by the Health Ministry are adopted and effectively implemented to reduce the mortality among COVID-19 patients and other preventable deaths among all sections of the people

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For the 4th successive day, India tests more than 6 lakh samples in 24 hours

India continued its track record of testing more than 6 lakh COVID-19 samples each day for the fourth successive day on Thursday. Expanded diagnostic lab network and facilitation for easy testing across the country have given a boost, and with 6,39,042 tests conducted in last 24 hours, India has done 2,27,88,393 tests presently. The Tests Per Million (TPM) has seen a sharp increase to 16513. The 7 day moving average in daily tests conducted has significantly improved from around 2.69 lakh on 14^th July 2020 to around 5.66 lakh on 6^th August 2020. While the cumulative testing rose from 1.2 crore on 14th July 2020 to 2.2 crore on 6th August 2020, the positivity rate has seen a rise from 7.5% to 8.87% in the same period. To keep up with this strategy, the testing lab network in the country is continuously strengthened which as on today consists of 1383 labs in the country; 931 labs in the government sector and 452 private labs.

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Extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package : Insurance Health Workers fighting COVID-19 for a further period of 90 days beyond the original period

https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/PMGKPInsuranceextensionletter.pdf

21 ESIC Hospitals Converted into Dedicated COVID-19 Hospitals Across the Country with the Facility of 2400 Isolation Beds: Santosh Gangwar

Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State (I/C) for Labour & Employment and Shri Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister of Haryana inaugurated Plasma Bank at ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Faridabad (Haryana) through video conference. Shri Gangwar said that in this crisis Covid situation, 21 ESIC Hospitals across India have been converted into Dedicated Covid-19 Hospitals. More than 2400 Isolation beds, 550 ICU/HDU beds with 200 ventilators have also been made available in these Hospitals. Quarantine facility (approx. 1300 Beds) has been made functional in 04 ESIC Hospitals at Alwar (Rajasthan), Bihta, Patna (Bihar), Gulbarga (Karnataka) and Korba (Chhattisgarh). Besides, Covid-19 testing facility has been made available at ESIC Hospital, Faridabad (Haryana), Basaidarapur (New Delhi) and Sanathnagar, Hyderabad. Plasma therapy is also being provided at ESIC Hospitals, Faridabad and Sanathnagar, Hyderabad for the treatment of serious patients of COVID-19.

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Proposals for the construction of nearly 10.28 Lakh houses approved under PMAY(Urban)

The 51st Meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) was held on 7^th August, 2020 in New Delhi. The Meeting was attended by 19 States/UTs. n the meeting, 1589 proposals from participating States were approved for the construction of nearly 10.28 Lakh houses. These houses are proposed to be constructed across Beneficiary Led Construction and Affordable Housing in Partnership verticals. This was the first CSMC meeting during the COVID-19 pandemic. This reflects the importance the Government has attached to the objective of providing pucca houses to all eligible beneficiaries of Urban India by 2022 with the vision of ‘Housing for All’.

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Webinar on New Technologies for various Products related to COVID 19 for MSMEs with focus of Water Purification Technologies

Prof.(Dr.) Harish Hirani, Director, CSIR-CMERI and Shri Vishwa Mohan Jha, Director, MSME-DI, Patna, deliberated upon the latest CSIR-CMERI developed COVID 19 technologies with focus on Water Purification Technologies in an engaging Webinar held on 7^th August 2020. The main objective of this Webinar was to make the industries/ entrepreneur under MSME aware about the technologies developed by CSIR-CMERI, provide total engineering solution and the facilities available in CSIR-CMERI

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INPUTS FROM FIELD OFFICES

• Arunachal Pradesh:  Arunachal Pradesh's State Health Minister inaugurates Dedicated Covid Health Centre (DCHC) at Midpu under Papumpare district. DCHC has seven fully air conditioned containers with 35 beds.
• Manipur:  In Manipur, 4 Doctors & one Nurse of PHC Leimapokpam found positive for COVID19. All patients who visited the health centre from August 2 to August 7 have been asked to contact authority.
• Mizoram: Seven recovered COVID-19 patients discharged today in Mizoram. Total active cases in the state stands at 270, while 296 have been discharged so far. In Mizoram, the total COVID-19 tally reached 566 so far.
• Nagaland: In Nagaland, 607 samples tested, out of them 31 new positive cases of COVID-19 have been detected. 12 in Kohima, 10 in Dimapur, 6 in Zunheboto & 3 in Wokha.
• Kerala:  The death toll in Karipur air crash has risen to 18. Currently 149 people are in various hospitals out of which 14 are in critical condition. Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri who visited the crash site and hospitals today, announced an interim relief of Rs 10 lakh for the family of each of those who died, Rs 2 lakh each for those who suffered serious injuries and Rs 50,000 for those who suffered minor injuries. In the other tragedy which hit the state yesterday, the death toll in the landslide in Idukki has risen to 24. Around 50 more bodies are feared buried in mud. 1,251 new Covid-19 cases were confirmed in Kerala yesterday of which 1,061 were contact cases with 73 cases from unknown sources. At present 12,411 patients are under treatment and 1,49,684 people under surveillance in various districts.
• Tamil Nadu:  Covid-19 cases in Puducherry cross 5000 with 268 fresh cases, toll rises to 80; total tally in the Union Territory is now 5067, while the number of active cases is 1953 and the toll has risen to 80. Giving more relaxations to the lockdown period, State to allow public worship from August 10 in small places of worship located within municipal corporation areas. State government has set aside Rs 103 crore to purchase 500 ambulances to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. 5880 new cases, 6488 recoveries & 119 deaths reported yesterday. Total cases : 2,85,024; Active cases: 52,759; Deaths: 4690; Active cases in Chennai: 11,606.
• Karnataka:  CM  B.S.Yediyurappa  spoke to Chief Secretary over telephone and took stock of the flood situation in the State. He instructed that the Chief Secretary can proceed with emergency measures without waiting for his approval. In view of rising covid cases among police, Bangalore city police commissioner issued guidelines for police to follow during duty. State health department has modified guidelines for international passengers and if they don't have symptoms they must be in home quarantine for 14 days. 6670 new cases, 3951 discharges & 101 deaths reported yesterday. Total cases: 1,64,924;  Active cases: 77,686; Deaths: 2998; Discharges 84,232.
• Andhra Pradesh:  State government has decided that people suffering from fever, breathlessness, and decreasing oxygen levels will be admitted to hospitals irrespective of Covid-19 test as waiting for test results would delay their treatment. Lockdown restrictions in Nellore city have been extended till August 23. Shops in the city will be allowed to remain open only between 6 am and 1 pm. State to place 5-10 beds with oxygen supply in each of Community Health Centers. Prakasam district administration is gearing up to re-impose a complete lockdown in the district headquarter, Ongole with coronavirus pandemic showing no signs of receding. 10,171 new cases, 7594 discharges and 89 deaths reported yesterday. Total cases: 2,06,960; Active cases: 84,654; Deaths: 1842.
• Telangana: Asymptomatic patients being the silent carriers of corona virus is a big concern in Telangana now. While it is a good sign that a majority of asymptomatic cases indicate a higher rate of recovery, rapid spread of the virus in a large population is what is worrying the officials. Covid-19 slows down in Hyderabad, other districts report spikes as Telangana detects 2256 more cases. 1091 recoveries & 14 deaths were also reported in the last 24 hours; out of 2256 cases,  464 cases reported from GHMC. Total cases: 77,513; Active cases: 22,568; Deaths: 615; Discharges: 54,330.
• Maharashtra: The Maharashtra Chief Minister Shri Uddhav Thackeray has asked authorities to take strict action against hospitals for overcharging, and also called for effective bed and ambulance management amid the outbreak. Maharashtra registered a spike of 10,906 cases on Friday, which took its total reported cases to 4,90,262. The number of active cases is 1,45,582.
• Gujarat: Ahmedabad and Surat are among thr 16 districts in four states reporting COVID-19 mortality higher than the national and their respective state average. The Centre has advised them to increase tests per million population and reduce case confirmation percentage in addition to ensuring availability of ambulances with a target of zero refusal. Ahmedabad and Surat have reported 27, 587 and 14,777 cases till date. Total number of reported cases in Gujarat is 68,885.
• Rajasthan: The Covid 19 tally in Rajasthan crossed 50 thousand mark on Friday, with the reporting of 1,161 new cases. Active cases are 13,195. Meanwhile,  Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has cleared a proposal for the appointment of 6,310 community health officers under the National Health Mission.
• Madhya Pradesh: The state reported 734 new Covid 19 cases during the last 24 hours taking the overall tally to 37,298. Out of this 27,621 have recovered. The death toll is 962.
• Chhattisgarh: Two days after the former Vidhan Sabha Speaker Shri Gourishankar Agrawal was found Covid-positive, the Leader of Opposition Shri Dharamlal Kaushik has tested positive for Covid 19. The state reported 378 new cases on Friday, while the active cases are 3,002.

FACT CHECK

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