New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold further consultations with the chief ministers today and tomorrow, as the government faces a worrying increase in cases of coronavirus in the past two weeks.
The Prime Minister will hold a video conference with the heads of 21 states and Union territories at 3 p.m. today, including Punjab, Assam, Kerala and all northeastern states. On Wednesday, also at 3 p.m., he will meet the 15 most affected people, including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Delhi.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu’s chief minister, Edappadi K Palaniswami, has announced a complete foreclosure in Chennai and certain areas below, including the districts of Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu from June 19 to 30. Only hospitals, laboratories and pharmacies will be allowed to operate. No taxi, car or private transport will be allowed to circulate, except in an emergency. People will need to buy essential items within a 2 km radius. Essential services, including milk, vegetable and fruit stores, mobile outlets and groceries, will be open.
COVID-19 count in India further increased to 3.3 lakh on Monday and the death toll exceeded 9,500, even as central and state governments have stepped up efforts to increase testing capacity and availability beds to treat people infected with the dreaded virus.
Here are live updates on the coronavirus outbreak:
US agency warns of combination of hydroxychloroquine and remdesivir
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned health care providers on Monday against administering hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for malaria in combination with Gilead Sciences’ remedy, remdesivir.
The agency, based on data from a recent non-clinical study, said co-administration could lead to a reduction in the antiviral activity of remdesivir. The warning comes hours after the agency revoked the emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19, which was presented by US President Donald Trump.
CM ordered to investigate the vacant buildings at Gurugram dist so that they can be used for the isolation of COVID patients when needed. He also ordered to monitor the testing of samples in private laboratories and to ensure the timely downloading of their reports: Haryana CM office
– ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2020
Beijing in China: New Restrictions to Stop the Spread of Coronavirus
Chinese authorities have imposed more restrictions to stop the spread of a new coronavirus outbreak in Beijing to other provinces, prohibiting overseas travel of high-risk people and suspending certain out-of-town transportation services
Beijing officials on Tuesday reported 27 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 by June 15, bringing the cumulative number of infections in the city’s current epidemic to 106. The Chinese capital has gone into war mode at the district level, with local neighborhoods instituting 24-hour security checkpoints, school closings and the need to increase social distance.
4 new # COVID-19[FEMALE[FEMININE cases confirmed last night, bringing the number to 121 in Mizoram. 3 are returnees from Delhi and 1 are returning from Maharashtra. All come from the Aizawl district, asymptomatic, between 24 and 30 years old, under quarantine: Department of Information and Public Relations, Govt of Mizoram pic.twitter.com/7stF1cXVd3
– ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2020
4 new # COVID-19[FEMALE[FEMININE cases confirmed last night, bringing the number to 121 in Mizoram. 3 are returnees from Delhi and 1 are returning from Maharashtra. All come from the Aizawl district, asymptomatic, between 24 and 30 years old, under quarantine: Department of Information and Public Relations, Govt of Mizoram pic.twitter.com/7stF1cXVd3
– ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2020
A reality check at five of Delhi’s hospitals found a huge shortage of beds, especially in the intensive care units and those attached to ventilators. Only three ventilation beds and five intensive care beds were available in the five hospitals, where costs ranged from 10,000 to 30,000 rupees a day, GalacticGaming found. In addition, 70% of the beds in these hospitals are occupied. Read more
Anti-coronavirus services in all hospitals will be equipped with CCTV cameras within 24 hours, the Delhi government has ordered, following instructions from Interior Minister Amit Shah on the matter. The minister made a surprise visit Monday to the National Capital Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital – a facility dedicated to the treatment of coronaviruses – a few days after the Supreme Court’s sharp criticism of the management of the pandemic by several states, including Delhi. Read more