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

With higher number of patients getting cured, India’s total Recoveries surpass 30 lakh

Not only is India’s Case Fatality Rate lower than the global average and progressively declining (current figure is 1.74%), but a very small proportion of the active cases, amounting to less than 0.5%, are on ventilator support. Data also shows that 2% cases are in ICUs and less than 3.5% of the active cases occupy oxygen supported beds. As a result of these measures, India's total COVID-19 recoveries have crossed 30 lakh (30,37,151) today.With the recovery of 66,659 in the last 24 hours, India has continued its trajectory of posting more than 60000 recoveries for the 8^th consecutive day. The Recovery Rate amongst the COVID-19 patients is 77.15%. The higher number of recoveries has also led to a steady enhancement in the difference between the recovered and active ones. This difference has crossed 22 lakh, as on date. This ensured that the actual caseload of the country viz. the active cases (8,31,124 which are under active medical care), has reduced and currently comprises only 21.11% of the total positive cases.

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India continues to scale new peaks in COVID-19 tests, More than 11.70 lakh samples tested for 2 consecutive days, Despite the very high testing levels, Daily Positivity rate is below 7.5% and Cumulative Positivity Rate is less than 8.5%

After having successfully achieved the goal of enhancing the daily testing capacity to more than 10 lakhs daily tests, India has scaled new peaks in COVID-19 testing for the last two successive days. For these two successive days, more than 11.70 lakh samples have been tested across the country. 11,69,765 samples were tested in the last 24 hours. No other country has achieved these levels of very high daily testing. With this steep exponential rise in daily testing, the cumulative tests are nearing 4.7 crore. The cumulative tests as on date have reached 4,66,79,145. Even with this very high daily testing, the daily Positivity Rate is still below 7.5%, while cumulative Positivity Rate is less than 8.5%. With the aim to reduce the fatality rate below 1%, India’s Case Fatality Rate (CFR) has touched 1.74% following a gradient of steady and sustained decline.India’s substantial increase in the testing levels is anchored in the daily expanding diagnostic lab network across the country. As on date, with 1025 labs in the government sector and 606 private labs, the country-wide network is strengthened with 1631 total lab facilities.

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PM interacts with IPS Probationers

Prime Minister Shri NarendraModi interacted, through video-conference, with IPS Probationers during the ‘Dikshant Parade Event’ at the SardarVallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy today.Speaking on the occasion, the PM said he regularly interacts with young IPS officers who have passed out from the academy, but this year due to coronavirus he was unable to meet them. “But I’m sure that during my tenure, I will surely meet you all at some point,” he added.The PM wished the IPS probationers for completing their training with success. He said it is very important that the probationers should be proud of their uniform instead of flexing power out of it. “Never lose the respect for your Khaki uniform. The human face of the Khaki uniform has been engraved in the public memory due to the good work done by police especially during this Covid-19,” he said.The Prime Minister appreciated that the 'Humane' side of police came to fore during COVID-19 pandemic.

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Prime Minister Delivers Special Key Note Address at the US-India 2020 Summit of US-ISPF

Prime Minister Shri NarendraModi delivered the Special Key Note Address at the US-India 2020 Summit through video conference yesterday. Addressing the Summit, Shri NarendraModi said the global pandemic has impacted everyone and that it is testing our resilience, our public health systems, our economic systems.The current situation demands a fresh mind set. A mind set where the approach to development is human centric. Where there is a spirit of cooperation between everyone, he said. Talking about the way ahead the Prime Minister said that the country is focussing on ramping up capacities, securing the poor and future proofing our citizens. Referring to various steps taken to ramp up facilities for fighting COVID and to increase awareness amongst the citizens, the Prime Minister said all such early measures ensured that the country with 1.3 billion people and limited resources has one of the lowest death rates per million in the World. He expressed his happiness that India’s business community, especially the small business has been proactive. Starting from almost nothing, they made us the second largest PPE kits manufacturer in the World, he said. Referring to various reforms the Prime Minister said that the pandemic failed to impact the aspirations and ambitions of 1.3 billion Indians.

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Text of Prime Minister’s Special Key Note Address at US-ISPF US-India Summit 2020

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Shri PiyushGoyal says country’s Exports and Imports are showing positive trends; Trade deficit is narrowing

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri PiyushGoyal today met the Office-bearers of various Export Promotion Councils (EPCs), to discuss the issues concerning the country’s global trade, ground level situation, and problems being faced by the exporters. In his opening remarks, the Minister said that the country’s exports as well as imports are showing positive trends. The exports are approaching the last year’s levels, after making a sharp dip in April this year due to pandemic. Regarding imports, the positive thing is that the Capital Goods imports have not declined, and the reduction in imports has been seen mainly in crude, gold and fertilizers. He added that the trade deficit is reducing drastically and our share in the global trade is improving, thanks to our resilient supply chains, and perseverance and hardwork of our exporters.

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Record area of 1095.38 lakh ha has been covered under Kharif crops as on 04.09.2020

In the current season of Kharif 2020, record area of 1095.38 lakh has been covered. Sowing of rice still continues while sowing of pulses, coarse cereals, millets and oilseeds is almost over. There is no impact of COVID-19 on progress of area coverage under kharif crops as on date.Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar said that the timely prepositioning of inputs by Government of India like seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, machinery and credit has made it possible for large coverage even during pandemic lockdown conditions.Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and State Governments have put all efforts in successful implementation of mission programs and flagship schemes. Shri Tomar said that credit goes to farmers for timely action and adoption of technologies and taking benefit of government schemes.

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INPUTS FROM PIB FIELD OFFICES

• Haryana: With Unlock-4 guidelines regarding COVID-19 Pandemic already in place, Haryana Government has issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines for Film Shooting in the State. The duration of shooting should be restricted to the minimum possible and not more than 50 persons should be present. Moreover, shooting would commence only after all the persons involved are thermally scanned and are found asymptomatic. The locations will be chosen taking into consideration if the locality falls in or near containment zones. Permissions and approvals will be given only for safe zones.
• Punjab: Punjab government has decided to allow free walk-in Testing in government hospitals and mobile vans, and similar testing at a nominal manpower cost not exceeding Rs 250 by private doctors and hospitals, to encourage increased Covid testing to check the surge in cases in the state. People who want their result immediately can opt for Rapid Antigen testing while RT-PCR testing will also be similarly available.
• Arunachal Pradesh:  In Arunachal Pradesh, 214 more people tested positive for COVID-19 and one death, total eight people died in the State till now.
• Assam: In Assam, 3054 more people tested positive for COVID-19 and 1971 people recovered yesterday, total cases rise to 118333, active 27303 and total death 330.
• Manipur: In Manipur, 102 more people tested positive for COVID-19 and 3 more deaths, 167 recoveries with 72 percent recovery rate. There are 1803 active cases in the state.
• Mizoram: In Mizoram, six fresh cases of COVID-19 detected in the state yesterday. Total cases 1046.Compulsory Rapid Antigen Test at Assam and Tripura border by Mizoram government to be discontinued. Only thermal screening and other basic procedures will be carried out to test those entering Mizoram.
• Nagaland: In Nagaland, a total of 39,769 samples have been sent for testing through RT-PCR and another 23,638 sent for testing through TrueNat machines so far.
• Kerala: Junior doctors in government service have threatened of quitting from service on September 10 if they are not exempted from salary challenge. A total of 868 doctors who are appointed in Covid First-Line Treatment Centres and other health centres have given a memorandum to the CM requesting to avoid them from salary challenge. However, CM has declared that the government will not re-examine the decision on salary challenge. As many as 1,553 Covid-19 cases were reported in the state yesterday. At present, 21,516 patients are undergoing treatment in the State and currently there are a total of 1.92 lakh people are under quarantine in various districts. The death toll in the State so far is 315.
• Tamil Nadu: Puducherry registered its highest single-day Covid-19 toll with 20 deaths, beating the previous highest of 13 deaths a few days back, while 591 more tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours ending 10 am on Friday. Madras High Court has directed the School Education Department to conduct Covid-19 tests for the physically and mentally challenged candidates and also their scribes, appearing for Class X private exams, starting September 21. Covishield vaccine developed by Oxford University reached Chennai for phase two clinical trials. The vaccine will be tested on 300 health volunteers above the age of 18 at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Porur, as part of multi-centric study in India.
• Karnataka:Covid-19 fatalities in Karnataka which have been on the rise since July touched 6054 on Thursday with 104 deaths. With services set to resume on September 7, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation will introduce an app to allow commuters to top up their smart cards. High Court has asked the State govt that how many prison inmates have tested corona positive and directed the state to file an affidavit. State government has decided to penalise private labs for delay in testing samples sent by it.
• Andhra Pradesh: Chief Minister has issued instructions to take strict action against hospitals that would not implement the Aarogyasri scheme. Officials have been advised to set up Covid help desks at every Aarogyasri empaneled hospitals to make the services accessible. Visakhapatnam Covid-19 cases count breaches 39,000 mark. Guntur collector has directed nodal officers to complete mapping of Covid-19 positive cases. He observed that mapping of 40,044 patients was yet to be completed. There are 9,583 patients who are yet to undergo triaging.
• Telangana: 2478 new cases, 2011 recoveries & 10 deaths reported in the last 24 hours; out of 2478 cases, 267 cases reported from GHMC. Total cases: 1,35,884; Active cases: 32,994; Deaths: 866; Discharges :1,02,024. At 18 per cent, Covid-19 positivity rate highest among healthcare staff in Telangana. As there was a high incidence of Covid-19 in the age group of 20 to 50 years, the government has requested the people not to step out, unless absolutely necessary. Covid-19 test must for all MLAs, journalists attending Telangana legislature's monsoon session.
• Maharashtra:  Congress leader and the state Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Sunil Kedar (59) has tested positive for Covid 19.  He is the 6th Minister of the Maharashtra VikasAghadi coalition government to test positive.  Maharashtra on Thursday reported 18,105 new infections, taking the cumulative tally past 8.43 lakh cases.  The tally for Mumbai has since reached 1.50 lakhs.   Meanwhile, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, in his capacity as the Chancellor of the Universities has agreed to the state government’s proposal to conduct online exams which can be taken from home by the students.
• Gujarat: Gujarat on Thursday became 11th state to have 1 lakh cumulative Covid-19 patients as it recorded 1,325 new positive cases, the highest single-day tally in the past hours ending at 5pm. The total cases in Gujarat now stand at 1,00,375. An analysis reveals that the last 25,000 cases were recorded in the past 23 days compared to 90 days it took for the state to cross the first 25,000 cases.
• Rajasthan: The Rajasthan government has fixed rates for Coronavirus treatment at private hospitals, keeping the charges between  Rs 5,000 to Rs 9,900 a day. The decision has come amid reports that private hospitals were charging exorbitant fee for the treatment.  The treatment cost includes Rs 1,200 of a PPE kit. The state has 16,067 active cases as on date.
• Madhya Pradesh: MP on Thursday reported the highest single-day rise of 1,672 new coronavirus cases, which pushed the state's infection count to 68,586. At 259, Indore reported the highest number of cases in the day in the state, followed by 246 in Gwalior, 198 in Bhopal and 129 in Jabalpur. Indore's total count of cases has reached 13,752.

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