Live updates corona virus 2 July 2020

LIVE BLOG

Economic Times | 02 Jul, 2020 04.28 PM IST

Coronavirus News Live: India crosses nine million COVID-19 tests

The officials of ICMR also said there are now 1,065 testing labs in the country -- 768 in the public sector and 297 in private.

04:26 PM

Lightning strikes kill 5 people, injure 12 others in UP's Ballia district: Police

04:16 PM

Defence Ministry approves proposal to acquire 33 new fighter aircraft from Russia

• It includes 12 Su-30MKIs and 21 MiG-29s along with upgradation of 59 existing MiG-29s.
• The total cost of these projects would be Rs 18,148 crores

04:08 PM

Samsung set to gain amid Chinese handset brands' pain

• China’s loss appears to be South Korea’s gain, at least as far as the smartphone market in India is concerned.
• Samsung may displace Vivo and regain its No. 2 position by September end, if not the end of the June quarter, benefitting from the anti-China sentiment in India and the unavailability of fresh stocks of Chinese smartphones, experts said.

04:04 PM

Bodies of suspected COVID-19 cases be handed over to kin without waiting for test result: Health min

03:58 PM

Scientists develop stamp-sized wearable device to monitor COVID-19 patients

• Researchers have developed a stamp-sized device, comprising a suite of sensors, including ones that record body temperature and blood oxygen levels, an advance that can be used to catch early signs and symptoms of COVID-19, and help monitor patients as the illness progresses.
  
• The scientists, including John A. Rogers from Northwestern University in the US, said they have tested the novel device on more than 50 physicians, rehabilitation specialists, and patients at the country's Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

03:52 PM

In the last 24 hours, 817 new COVID19 positive cases have been reported in the state. There are 6869 active cases, 17,221 discharges so far and 735 patients have succumbed to the infection

- Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad

03:47 PM

Tripura to distribute vitamin-C enriched fruits among people to boost immunity

03:43 PM

Russian produced anti-covid drug ready for exports

• Russian produced coronavirus drug Avifavir is ready for exports and over 50 countries across continents have expressed interest in acquiring the drug.
• The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, and ChemRar Group produced the first 100,000 courses of the Russian coronavirus drug Avifavir in June, significantly exceeding initially planned production levels of 60,000 courses.

03:41 PM

India's GDP may contract by 6.4% in FY21: Care Ratings

• Care Ratings on Thursday revised India's GDP growth forecast for the current financial year to (-) 6.4 per cent as economic activity continues to be under restriction due to the lockdown on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The rating agency, in May, had projected a decline in GDP growth of 1.5-1.6 per cent in FY21.

03:39 PM

JEE Main & NEET Exam 2020: HRD Ministry forms panel to review situation for conduct of entrance exams

03:34 PM

India crosses nine million COVID-19 tests

• India has crossed the nine-million mark in conducting COVID-19 tests, with 90,56,173 samples having been examined till July 1, officials said on Thursday.
• The officials of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) also said there are now 1,065 testing labs in the country -- 768 in the public sector and 297 in private.
• The daily testing capacity is also growing fast, they said, adding it was around 1.5 lakh per day on May 25 and is more than three lakh per day now.

03:29 PM

Pak Army rejects reports of additional deployment of troops along LoC

03:24 PM

Indian Army Brigadier dies from COVID19-related complications in Kolkata: Official sources

03:18 PM

Manufacturing Ultra Violet disinfection towers

• Ahmedabad-based Motivation Engineers & Infrastructure Pvt Ltd enters into a technology transfer agreement with DRDO for manufacturing Ultra Violet disinfection towers.
• Company's MD Sunil Shah says, "We are hoping to launch the device in the market in next 10 days."
• The device can kill 99.9% viruses at any surface.
• It is equipped with a motion sensor and can be operated by a mobile phone.
• It can disinfect any area in a very short period of time.

03:16 PM

Earthquake of magnitude 3.6 on the Ricter scale struck near Katra, Jammu & Kashmir

03:14 PM

No community spread of COVID-19 in Maharashtra

- Health Minister Rajesh Tope

03:11 PM

India needs FDI worth Rs 50 to 60 lakh crore and the money can be tapped mainly through infrastructure projects as well as MSME sector to accelerate the wheels of coronavirus-hit economy

- Union minister Nitin Gadkari

03:07 PM

RJD MLA Shahnawaz Alam tests positive for COVID-19, the fourth legislator in Bihar to have contracted the disease

03:00 PM

Multiplex Association of India urges govt to allow operation of cinema houses

02:53 PM

100 per cent punctuality of trains achieved for the first time

02:48 PM

Little FDI from China since last year

• Official data showed that China was at number 18 in terms of source of FDI with several other countries such as Singapore and Mauritius ahead of it.
• A large number of Chinese investors, such as electronics goods maker Xiaomi, have entered India via Singapore and other countries, which do not reflect in the official numbers.
• A report by thinktank Gateway House estimated Chinese FDI at around $6.2 billion, with investment in Indian tech companies at around $4 billion.
• Even at this level, it will be lower than Singapore, Mauritius, US, UK, Germany, Netherlands and Japan, among others

02:37 PM

Other deaths spike in Ahmedabad ravaged by coronavirus

• The spike in deaths in Ahmedabad, the most populous city in western Gujarat state, is due to patients with serious illnesses either not able to go to hospitals or being afraid to visit them because of the virus, doctors said.
• The numbers contain “ominous signals” for the rest of the country, said Dr Rajib Dasgupta, a professor of community health at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University.
• India has the world’s fourth biggest outbreak of the COVID-19 disease caused by the virus, with over 600,000 confirmed cases and 17,800 deaths, and some of its largest cities are still reeling from rising infections.

02:25 PM

Karnataka: DK Shivakumar takes charge as the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee in Bengaluru.

02:24 PM

Naxal camp busted

A Special Operation Group team yesterday busted a Naxal camp in Ladapadar Reserve Forest area of Kandhamal district. 15kg of explosives, 28 detonators, multimeters, bag, blackcaps, rechargeable battery, camp equipment, banners, poster & literature recovered: SP Prateek Singh

02:23 PM

Sensex up by 576.84 points, currently at 35,991.29

02:23 PM

Rupee jumps 56 paise to settle at 75.04 (provisional) against US dollar

02:12 PM

Liquidity relief to small & marginal labourers

A big liquidity relief to small & marginal labourers & a stride towards making farmers Atmanirbhar where around Rs 24,586.87 crore has been disbursed to cooperative banks, RRBs & MFIs under Rs 30,000 crore special liquidity facility by NABARD as on 30 June: Union Minister G Kishan Reddy

02:10 PM

Andhra Pradesh recorded 845 new COVID-19 cases and 5 deaths in the last 24 hours

Taking the total number of cases to 16,097 out of which 8,586 cases are active. Number of deaths due to the disease stands 198: State Health Department

02:02 PM

China hopes India corrects actions against Chinese firms immediately

• China's commerce ministry said on Thursday that it hopes India would correct its discriminatory actions against Chinese companies immediately, after India banned Chinese mobile apps amid a border crisis between the two countries.
• China has not adopted any restrictive or discriminatory measures against Indian products and services, Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng told reporters in an online briefing, adding that India's actions are in violation of WTO rules.

01:55 PM

HRD Ministry forms panel to review situation for conduct of entrance exams NEET and JEE.

Looking at prevailing circumstances & requests received from students & parents appearing for JEE & NEET exams, a committee consisting of National Testing Agency & other experts has been advised to review situation & submit its recommendations to HRD Ministry latest by tomorrow: Union Minister R. Pokhriyal

01:55 PM

Earthquake of magnitude 4.5 struck 119 km North-Northwest of Kargil

Earthquake of magnitude 4.5 on the Richter scale struck 119 km North-Northwest of Kargil, Ladakh at 13:11 hours today: National Center for Seismology

01:54 PM

We haven't received any fund from Centre if some leader says that we have received fund then he is betraying the state. However, there is no cash crunch for handling COVID19 situation in the state.

- Vijay Wadettiwar, Maharashtra Minister

01:54 PM

Situation of the state is such that we will have to take loan to pay next month salaries of govt employees. Except for 3-4 departments, expenses have been cut in other departments.

- Vijay Wadettiwar, Maharashtra Minister

01:52 PM

Kerala HC has extended the life of all interim orders passed by courts and tribunals in Kerala until August 3

stating that COVID-19 situation has not changed in the state since the passage of its last order on the issue.

01:51 PM

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Leh being rescheduled: Defence Officials

Defence Minister was scheduled to visit Leh tomorrow to review the security situation in Eastern Ladakh, in view of the Chinese aggression along the Line of Actual Control.

01:34 PM

Google has said it has temporarily blocked access to those apps that were still available on the Play Store in India even after the government banned 59 Chinese apps this week.

01:33 PM

WHO calls for greater attention to mental health

World Health Organization calls upon countries in the South-East Asia Region to pay greater attention to mental health and suicide prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

01:32 PM

ED begins 3rd round of questioning of Ahmed Patel

Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigators begin the third round of questioning of senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel at his New Delhi residence in connection with the Sandesara brothers bank fraud and money laundering case probe: Officials.

01:31 PM

SpiceJet's contribution in bringing back stranded Indians

SpiceJet says it has operated a total of 200 charter flights to repatriate close to 30,000 Indians till now amid the coronavirus-induced travel restrictions.

01:30 PM

Indian Newspaper Society urges govt to take steps to ban access to Chinese media

Indian Newspaper Society (INS) slams China's action of restricting access to Indian newspapers and media websites, urges Indian government to expeditiously take steps to ban access to Chinese media in the country.

01:22 PM

MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan holds 1st cabinet meeting after new ministers took oath

01:20 PM

Labour shortage in Amritsar

Punjab: Farmers say they're facing problems in paddy plantation due to labour shortage in Amritsar. Farmer Gurbachan Singh says, "There's a huge shortage of labourers as govt sent migrant workers home without any proper planning. Now our family members are forced to work in fields."

01:13 PM

No community spread in the state: Maha Health Minster

Most of the cases which are coming positive are of the people who are either under institutional quarantine, home quarantine or with some contact history. So, there's no community spread in the state as of now: Maharashtra Health Minster Rajesh Tope

01:12 PM

Plasma therapy is still a very effective way of treatment, 9 out of 10 patients are getting better through this treatment. Total 93,000 patients have recovered until now.

- Rajesh Tope, Maharashtra Health Minster

01:11 PM

Remdesivir & Favipiravir will be available in all the districts in coming 2 days: Tope

Both the medicines, Remdesivir & Favipiravir will be available in all the districts in coming 2 days & we are ensuring that it is not available for rich & influential people only. It will be available for all: Maharashtra Health Minster Rajesh Tope.

01:05 PM

We hope India to correct its discriminatory actions against Chinese companies immediately, reports Reuters quoting China Commerce Ministry

12:57 PM

Kerala Government issues revised guidelines regarding discharge of COVID19 patients

Asymptomatic patients will be tested on the 10th day of admission and people with 1st test negative will be discharged with 7 days home quarantine.

12:50 PM

Union Minister RS Prasad on banning of Chinese apps

For security and sovereignty of India, for countrymen's digital security and privacy we have banned 59 apps, including TikTok. India knows how to look in the eyes of those eyeing our borders and to protect countrymen, India can even do a digital strike: Union Minister RS Prasad

12:48 PM

Tuticorin custodial death case: Madurai bench orders police to give paid leave to the eyewitness

Madurai bench of Madras High Court orders police to give paid leave to the woman police official who is an eyewitness. CB-CID, which is probing the case, tells the court, "We've booked 5 police personnel from Sathankulam Police Station for murder."

12:39 PM

Nepal Govt decides to prorogue the ongoing Budget Session of the Parliament

Nepal Government decides to prorogue (discontinue without dissolving) the ongoing Budget Session of the Parliament, a decision taken during the cabinet meeting held at Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's official residence in Baluwatar.

12:30 PM

Indian Army Brigadier dies of Covid

An Indian Army Brigadier posted at the Eastern Command in Kolkata passed away today due to COVID19: Defence PRO, Kolkata Eastern Command

12:22 PM

We banned Chinese apps to protect data of countrymen; it was a digital strike: Ravi Shankar Prasad tells Bengal BJP rally

12:21 PM

Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli is not present at the Communist Party Standing Committee meeting that is underway at Baluwatar.

12:20 PM

India for peace but if somebody casts an evil eye we will give befitting reply: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sino-Indian standoff

12:19 PM

Security cover provided to the eyewitness in Tuticorin custodial death case

We have provided security cover to her under Madras High Court's direction. CB-CID is probing the case & the guilty will be brought to justice: S Murugan, IG, South Zone on protection to the woman police official who is an eyewitness in Tuticorin custodial death case

12:17 PM

Who to contact for plasma donation?

If you are eligible & willing to donate plasma, then you may call us at 1031 or you can WhatsApp us at 8800007722. Our doctors will then get in touch with you to further confirm your eligibility: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

12:16 PM

Dr Harsh Vardhan launches ‘Drug Discovery Hackathon’

Delhi: Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan launches ‘Drug Discovery Hackathon’ along with Union Minister for HRD Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank via video conferencing.

12:16 PM

Maintaining strict vigil on the movement of people: Chennai CP

People should wear masks, use sanitiser & maintain social distancing, Police have been advised to ensure that these are followed. We're maintaining strict vigil on the movement of people, we request people to follow norms & stay at home during the lockdown: Mahesh Kr Aggarwal, Chennai CP

12:08 PM

Who all can donate plasma for COVID19 patients?

If you have recovered from COVID19 & your age is between 18 and 60 & your weight is above 50 kg, then you may donate plasma for COVID19 patients. However, women who have given birth or the persons with comorbidities, are not eligible to donate plasma: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

12:07 PM

CM Arvind Kejriwal inaugurates country's first 'Plasma Bank' via s