India Sees Record Cases For 4th Day, Total Crosses 4 Lakh: 10 Points

New Delhi:
India’s coronavirus tally surged to 4,10,461 infections this morning as it registered the steepest single-day jump of 15,413 new patients in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said this morning, hours after the country’s COVID-19 count soared past the four lakh-mark. A total of 13,254 patients have died since the beginning of the pandemic. Of these, 306 people died in the last 24 hours. The fourth worst-hit country by the pandemic, India has been reporting a record surge in numbers for the last four days.

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi this morning urged people across the country to embrace yoga to boost immunity amid the pandemic as he addressed the nation on World Yoga Day. “Covid-19 attacks our respiratory system. What makes our respiratory system stronger is “Pranayama”, which is a breathing exercise. A lot of coronavirus patients across the world are benefiting due to yoga,” PM Modi said. World Yoga Day has gone digital this year for the first time since it was instituted in 2015. 

2. This is the fourth consecutive day that India registered a record jump in the number of coronavirus cases. On Saturday, 14,516 new infections were reported, 13,586 fresh cases were registered on Friday. On Thursday, 12,881 new infections were recorded in 24 hours, according to the government data. 

3. Nearly 2,27 lakh people have recovered so far. The country’s recovery rate stood at 55.48 per cent this morning.

4. India tested a record 1.9 lakh samples on Saturday, taking the total number of samples tested since the beginning of the pandemic to 68,07,226. The country’s average positivity rate – ratio of positive cases to the number of tests conducted – stood at 7.64 per cent this morning.

5. The country’s worst-hit state, Maharashtra has stepped up its fight against coronavirus. It has decided to conduct anti-body tests for all frontline workers. Antibody testing determines whether you had COVID-19 in the past and now have antibodies against the virus. The state is also planning to rely on tele-ICUs – remote command centres for critical healthcare workers – in the fight against coronavirus.

6. Maharashtra reported a spike of 3,874 cases on Saturday, taking its tally to 1.28 lakh cases. A total of 5,984 people have died so far.

7. With the third highest number of cases in India, Delhi registered the steepest single-day jump in infections on Saturday with 3,630 new patients, taking the total to nearly 56,000 cases. Private hospitals shall charge no more than Rs 18,000 per day for intensive care unit beds with ventilator support while treating COVID-19 patients, the Delhi government ordered on Saturday.

8. Uttar Pradesh has suspended Kanwar yatra- annual pilgrimage of devotees of Hindu god Shiva- this year. The Gujarat High Court on Saturday stayed Ahmedabad’s annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath scheduled on June 23 considering the prevailing coronavirus situation.

9. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court said the Lord Jagannath rath yatra and activities connected to it will not be allowed this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. “Lord Jagannath will not forgive us if we allowed the rath yatra,” Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said while hearing a petition seeking to defer the rath yatra in Odisha’s Puri which was scheduled to start on June 23.

10. Globally, more than 86 lakh people have been affected by the pandemic; around 4.6 lakh have died. With over 22 lakh cases, United States is the worst-hit country followed by Brazil, Russia, India and the United Kingdom.