8.50 pm: State updates

Haryana: 402 new cases and 5 deaths; tally rises to 13,829 including 223 fatalities

Rajasthan: 327 new cases and 8 deaths; tally rises to 17,271 and toll stands at 399

8.48 pm: Visuals from Assam’s Ganeshguri area as the state goes into complete lockdown for 14 days.

8.40 pm: Goa reports 70 new cases, taking the overall count to 1,198, reports PTI.

8.17 pm: Jammu and Kashmir reports 127 new cases.

7.55 pm: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia says the national Capital’s recovery rate is now 62%. “We are hopeful that situation will improve in the coming weeks and will certainly not be as bleak as it looked in first week of June when domain experts predicted 5.5 lakh cases in Delhi by July 31.”

7.53 pm: Maharashtra reports 156 deaths and 5,493 fresh cases, reports ANI. The total number of cases in the state is now 1,64,626.

7.50 pm: Karnataka reports 1,267 new cases, ANI reports citing the state health department. With this, the state’s tally rises to 13,190.

7.25 pm: Ladakh’s tally rises to 963 with three more people testing positive, reports PTI.

7.24 pm: State updates

Gujarat: 624 new cases and 19 deaths; tally rises to 31,397

West Bengal: 572 new cases and 10 deaths; total number stands at 17,283

7.17 pm: Uttarakhand reports 32 new cases of Covid-19, taking the total number of infections to 2,823.

7.05 pm: Sri Lanka lifts curfew imposed to contain the spread of the infection. There has been no new case of community infection for nearly two months in the country.

7.04 pm: The Supreme Court dismisses a plea seeking cancellation of the remaining two papers of Class 10 examination of Rajasthan board, reports PTI.

7.04 pm: In Manipur, 93 people tested positive in the last 24 hours, reports ANI citing the state government. With this, the total number of cases in the state stands at 1,185.

7.03 pm: Punjab’s total count of cases rises to 5,216 with 161 fresh infections. The toll in the state is now 133.

7.02 pm: Chandigarh reports two new cases. With this, the tally rises to 429.

7.01 pm: Delhi records 2,889 fresh cases, taking the tally in the city over the 83,000-mark. The toll is now 2,623.

6.45 pm: Six more personnel of Indo-Tibetan Border Police test positive, reports ANI.

6.32 pm: Dharavi in Mumbai reports 13 new cases, says the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. With this, the total number of cases in the slum rises to 2,245.

6.12 pm: The total number of cases in Himachal Pradesh is now 902 including seven deaths.

6.10 pm: Tamil Nadu reports 3,940 new cases and 54 deaths, ANI reports citing the state health department. With this, the state’s tally rises to 82,275 including 1,079 deaths.

6.07 pm: All 77 districts in Nepal have reported the disease, PTI reports citing the country’s health ministry. In the last 24 hours, there have been 463 new infections. With this, the total tally now stands at 12,772.

6.05 pm: In Kerala, 118 people have tested positive and 42 have recovered today, says Health Minister KK Shailaja.

6.03 pm: Manipur extends the lockdown for another 15 days from July 1 to 15, says Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

5.41 pm: The Madhya Pradesh government will launch a “Kill Corona” campaign from July 1 to control the spread of the disease, reports PTI. During the 15-day campaign, door-to-door survey will be conducted and 2.5 lakh tests will be done.

5.30 pm: The Karnataka government rules that private medical establishments in the state cannot deny or refuse treatment to Covid-19 patients or those with related symptoms.

5.27 pm: Telangana Chief Minister’s Office says the Cabinet may discuss proposals for reimposition of the lockdown, reports ANI.

4.45 pm: Bihar’s Backward and Extremely Backward Classes Welfare Minister Vinod Kumar Singh and his wife tested positive, reports PTI. They have been sent to an isolation ward, confirms Katihar District Magistrate Kanwal Tanuj.

3.55 pm: As many as 150 policemen have tested positive in the last 48 hours, and one has died, says the Maharashtra Police according to ANI. The total number of infected police personnel is now 4,666, and the toll 57.

3.36 pm: Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad says that 606 new infections have been found in the last 24 hours, ANI reports. There are now 6,679 active cases. As many as 14,808 patients have been discharged so far and 660 patients have died, Prasad says.

3.07 pm: Fifty prisoners at Maharashtra’s Akola jail test positive, reports PTI.

2.58 pm: The Haryana government announces that shopping malls will re-open in Gurugram and Faridabad districts from July 1, reports ANI. The shopping malls will have to follow the Standard Operating Procedure issued by the central government.

2.57 pm: The toll in Rajasthan rises to 396 with five more fatalities, reports PTI. The state reports 175 fresh cases, taking the number of infections to 17,119.

2.53 pm: Singapore reports 213 new cases. With this, the total number of infections stands at 43,459.

2.51 pm: Former HRD Minister Kapil Sibal says Class 10 board exams should be scrapped next year as a big part of this academic year has been lost due to the pandemic, reports PTI.

2.44 pm: Former Gujarat Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela has been admitted to a private hospital in Ahmedabad, reports The Indian Express. Vaghela had tested positive on Saturday.

“He [Vaghela] was home quarantined yesterday [Saturday],” says Vaghela’s media associate Parthesh Patel. “Today, the doctor advised hospitalization for better treatment. And accordingly, he has been admitted to hospital today. However, there is nothing to worry about his health otherwise. He has no morbidities like diabetes etc. and is physically fit.”

2.39 pm: Bihar reports 138 new infections, taking state’s total tally to 9,117, says the health department.

2.22 pm: Thackeray says Tuesday, June 30, will be observed as National Doctors’ Day in Mahasrashtra, reports ANI. “They are fighting for us, I offer my gratitude to them,” he adds. “Covid-19 is not over yet, we will tackle this issue together. We should not be restless and go out unnecessarily.”

2.20 pm: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray says the state shall not lift its lockdown on June 30 as infections continue to surge, reports Hindustan Times. He adds that the number of relaxations will be gradually increased.

2.19 pm: Andhra Pradesh reports 813 new cases and 12 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to ANI. The state Covid-19 nodal officer says the total number of cases stand at 13,098 including 7021 active ones and 169 deaths.

2.00 pm: Shah says Delhi will have 30,000 beds by the end of June.

1.56 pm: The Union health ministry says recovered cases have overtaken active coronavirus cases by 1 lakh. India has 2,03,051 active cases and 3,09,712 recoveries.

1.40 pm: Shah says that India will successfully overcome the twin challenges posed by the coronavirus crisis and the face-off with China.

1.36 pm: Shah refers to the migrant crisis that took place after the lockdown was announced in March, saying it was “saddening” when migrants began walking home.

1.30 pm: Shah says after Sisodia made the remark, the home ministry assisted the state government and helped it take several measures including testing of all individuals in containment zones. At the time, there were also more than 350 bodies of people who had died due to the virus that were waiting to be cremated, he says.

1.05 pm: “There is no such situation (community transmission) in Delhi, there is no need to worry,” Shah tells ANI.

Amid constant tussles between the Delhi government and Centre, Shah adds that there is coordination between the two sides now. “He [Chief Minister Kejriwal] is always kept in the loop, he is also involved in decision making.”

1.02 pm: Union Home Minister Amit Shah tells ANI that Delhi will not have 5.5 lakh coronavirus cases by the end of July, contrary to what Delhi Health Minister Manish Sisodia said earlier.

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Covid-19: Amit Shah says Manish Sisodia’s ‘5.5 lakh cases’ remark forced Centre to step in

11.17 am: The prime minister says “Unlock” also helped open certain sectors of India’s economy. “India is unlocking, be it in sectors like coal, space, agriculture and more,” he says. “This is the time to work together to make India self-reliant and technologically advanced.”

11.14 am: Modi says the nation needs to be more careful during “Unlock” than the previous phases lockdown. “I appeal to the people to not be careless,” he says. “Please wear masks and observe physical distancing guidelines.”

11.11 am: The prime minister says no mission is complete without the participation of the people.

11.10 am: “People are wondering when 2020 will end,” the prime minister says. “They feel it has been a year of many challenges. There could be any number of challenges but our history shows that we have always overcome them,” he adds.

11.08 am: Modi salutes soldiers killed in the Ladakh clash. “Their zeal and sacrifices are India’s strength,” Modi says.

11.03 am: The prime minister says India will overcome challenges created by the coronavirus crisis. “I trust the people of the nation,” Modi says.

11.02 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his “Mann Ki Baat” address.

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10.52 am: The Madhya Pradesh government will launch a ‘Kill Corona’ campaign from July 1, PTI reports. The campaign will include door-to-door surveys and coronavirus tests.

10.48 am: The residents of Guwahati rush to markets ahead of the imposition of a two-week long lockdown.

10.43 am: Mexico recorded 4,410 new coronavirus cases and 602 deaths on Saturday, taking the total in the country to 2,12,802 cases and the toll to 26,381, according to Reuters.

10.37 am: Thirty-three Border Security Force personnel test positive for the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, ANI reports. BSF’s overall count rises to 944. This includes 637 recoveries and five deaths.

10.36 am: Barber shops and salons reopen in Mumbai.

10.12 am: Some of Uttar Pradesh’s migrant labourers are returning to other states for work, reports NDTV. “If there was employment in UP, I would not return,” Khursheed Ansari, a factory worker, tells NDTV. He adds that “corona is better than hunger”. “It is better for me to die rather than my children to die of coronavirus,” he says.

10.05 am: The Indian Council of Medical Research says so far, 82,27,802 samples have been tested for the virus, of which 2,31,095 were tested yesterday.

9.41 am: The toll is up to 16,095, with 410 more deaths reported.

9.39 am: India’s cases rise by 19,906 to 5,28,859. This is the highest daily rise in cases so far.

9.14 am: Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia now says the Capital has a shortage of “trained and experienced” healthcare workers, as cases of the coronavirus have been shooting up in the past few weeks, AP reports. He admits that other states also face the same problem.

Delhi has more than 77,000 cases, being the worst-hit Indian city currently.

9.02 am: In Mumbai, there are cases of children with coronavirus complaining of symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease, reports The Indian Express. While patients abroad had reported this in April, this is the first time this is coming to light in India. Kawasaki disease affects children, causing inflamed blood vessels, among other things. Other symptoms include rashes, high fever, red eyes and lips. The cause of this disease is unknown.

A 14-year-old was taken to a private hospital in Mumbai last week with two of these symptoms – rashes and high fever. After she tested positive for the coronavirus, her condition plummeted and she was moved to the ICU, the report says. She has been put on a “high dose” of steroids, immunoglobulins, and immunosuppressant drug tocilizumab.

8.55 am: Uttar Pradesh reported 607 new cases on Saturday, taking the state’s count to 21,549, while the toll rose by 19 to 649, PTI reports.

8.24 am: China reports 17 new coronavirus cases, according to Reuters. Fourteen of these cases are from Beijing.

8.23 am: United States’ tally crosses 25 lakh.

8.20 am: Here are the top updates from Saturday:

  1. The Centre allowed the use of the drug dexamethasone to treat coronavirus patients with severe and moderate symptoms.
  2. A first information report was filed against yoga guru Ramdev, the chief executive officer of Patanjali Acharya Balkrishna, and three others in Jaipur for allegedly making misleading claims that they have found a herbal cure for the coronavirus
  3. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in its 2020 World Drug Report, has highlighted a wide range of possible consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on illegal drug production, supply and consumption.
  4. The coronavirus outbreak, which brought India’s financial capital Mumbai to a standstill, appeared to slow down after the doubling rate increased from 30 to 41 days. A report by the city’s civic authority said the prevention plan has been effective due to aggressive testing and isolation strategy.
  5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed India was in a better state than other countries and attributed this to his government’s initiatives such as the countrywide lockdown.
  6. Karnataka announced that a curfew will be imposed on Sundays from July 5 to combat the coronavirus. It also changed the night curfew timings to 8 pm to 5 am. The state recorded its highest ever daily rise of 918 cases, taking its tally to 11,923. Kerala, however, lifted its curfew on Sundays.
  7. The Centre on Saturday said that eight states have reported 85.5% of the active cases of the coronavirus and 87% of the overall deaths from the disease in the country. These states are Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.