India’s COVID-19 tally crossed 1.53 lakh on Wednesday with more than 6,000 new cases getting detected across states, but the government said the recovery rate has improved further to cross 42 per cent. The death toll also rose further.
In its morning update, the Union Health Ministry said the total number of cases has increased to 1,51,767 and the death toll to 4,337, registering an increase of 6,387 cases and 170 deaths in 24 hours since Tuesday 8am. It also said more than 64,000 have recovered so far, while over 83,000 are undergoing treatment.
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However, a PTI tally of figures announced by different states and union territories, till 9.30pm, showed that more than 1.53 lakh have tested positive so far for the deadly virus infection and at least 4,466 have lost their lives. It also showed more than 66,750 having recovered.
“Around 42.45 per cent patients have recovered so far,” a senior health ministry official said.
The government said there have been “multiple gains” from the lockdown and the most important of them is that it has “decelerated the pace” of spread of COVID-19.
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“Lockdown has garnered multiple gains, and primarily among them is that it has decelerated the pace of spread of the disease,” the ministry said
Estimates made by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation showed that a large number of deaths and cases have been averted, the ministry said in statement.
At the same time, during the lockdown period, development of COVID-19 specific health infrastructure, capacity development of human resource through online training modules and webinars, increased testing capacity, development of diagnostics, drug trials and vaccine research were achieved, it said.
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On the the technical side, the surveillance systems of which contact tracing and house to house surveys are a part were strengthened and tools like Aarogya Setu was developed, the ministry added.
Also, 2,362 dedicated COVID-19 health centres with 1,32,593 isolation beds, 10,903 ICU beds and 45,562 oxygen supported beds have been operationalised.
Besides, 10,341 quarantine centres and 7,195 COVID care centres with 6,52,830 beds are now available to combat COVID-19 in the country, it said.
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The Centre has also provided 113.58 lakh N95 masks and 89.84 lakh Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to the states, union territories and central Institutions, the ministry said, adding the testing capacity has increased in the country through 435 government laboratories and 189 private laboratories (total of 624 labs).
India’s COVID-19 fatality rate is 2.86 per cent, as against the world average of 6.36 per cent, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, the national capital saw its tally of confirmed cases rising to 15,257 with 792 fresh cases getting detected — its highest single-day spike. The death toll in Delhi rose to 303.
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Tamil Nadu also recorded its biggest single-day spike with 817 new cases, including those having returned from other states, taking its total count to 18,545. It also reported six more deaths, taking its death toll to 133.
Maharashtra, the worst-hit state, reported a record number of 105 deaths and 2,190 new cases, taking the count of its fatalities to 1,897 and of confirmed cases to 56,948. This was the the first time that Maharashtra has reported deaths in three digits. Mumbai alone reported 1,044 new cases and 32 more deaths.
New cases were reported from various other states and union territories as well, including Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Odisha, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry.
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The tally in Kerala crossed the 1,000-mark after 40 people, including 37 returnees from abroad and other states, tested positive. While Kerala was the first state in India to report a COVID-19 case on January 30, it had almost flattened the curve of the virus spread till arrival of people from outside began earlier this month.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said 445 people are undergoing treatment in various hospitals at present, while more than 1.7 lakh are under observation. A total of 552 people have been cured, while there have been six fatalities so far in the state.
Tripura also reported 23 new cases and officials said the majority of the recent cases have been detected among people returning from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and other states.
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Odisha reported 76 new cases, of which 74 people had returned from other states and were staying in different quarantine centres.
In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the state considers ferrying of a large number of migrant workers by trains as a big problem for public health, as she sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in the matter.
Those returning from the coronavirus hotspot states of Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu will have to go for a 14-day institutional quarantine, Banerjee said.
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The state government also announced that all schools will remain closed till June 30. Earlier, they were scheduled to remain closed till June 30.
In Mizoram, Chief Minister Zoramthanga said his government is contemplating extending the coronavirus-induced lockdown beyond May 31 in view of the influx of migrants from outside the state.
The Himachal Pradesh government has already authorised all district magistrates to extend the coronavirus lockdown beyond May 31 and three DMs have issued orders indicating that the curfew will continue in their areas for another month.
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A nationwide lockdown has been in place since March 25 and the ongoing fourth phase of the lockdown is scheduled to remain in place till May 31.
While several relaxations have been given in the fourth phase for allowing various economic activities, educational institutions are among those that have not been allowed to open as yet.
Domestic flights also began operating this week in a phased manner, while special migrant trains have been running since May 1 and special international flights were started on May 7 to bring back stranded Indians and expatriates from abroad.
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Air India on Wednesday said a passenger, who had travelled on an Alliance Air flight from Delhi to Ludhiana on May 25, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, following which 41 people, including five crew members, have been quarantined.
On Tuesday, IndiGo had also said that a passenger who travelled on a Chennai-Coimbatore flight on May 25, tested positive for COVID-19.
In Assam also, one person tested positive after returning to the state’s capital Guwahati in a flight from Ahmedabad by plane.
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Officials in hill state Uttarakhand said the doubling rate of coronavirus cases has worsened and the number of infections has jumped nearly five times in this period due to the influx of people from outside.
In Rajasthan, Health Minister Raghu Sharma expressed hope that the number of coronavirus infections in the state would start to decline from the next month. He said the infections have now spread to 32 districts of the state, of which 12 were earlier declared as green zones.
He said the government has arranged facilities for institutional quarantine of those people who are coming from outside the state. Rajasthan recorded two COVID-19 deaths and 109 new cases of the virus, taking its tally of confirmed cases to 7,645 and fatalities to 172.
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Gujarat reported 376 new cases and 23 more deaths taking its tally of confirmed cases to 15,205 and fatalities to 938.
Jammu and Kashmir also reported its biggest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases with 162 people testing positive for the disease during the day, pushing its tally to 1,921. The union territory also reported two fresh deaths.
In a worrying development, some of those who tested positive on Wednesday had no contact history. Also, mMany of them are young women in their early 20s, officials said.
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India figures among the ten worst-hit countries in terms of spread of the deadly virus. Globally, more than 56 lakh have tested positive so far, while over 3.5 lakh have lost their lives. More than 23 lakh have recovered too.
Passionate news enthusiast with a flair for words. Our Editorial Team author brings you the latest updates, in-depth analysis, and engaging stories. Stay informed with their well-researched articles.
A huge update for those who were a part of COVID vaccination programs! Rare side effects of the vaccination have surfaced, questioned by numerous health experts.
The Economic Times reported that AstraZeneca, the British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, has legally acknowledged that its product, Covishield, can cause certain rare side effects.
AstraZeneca developed Covishield, which was produced by the Serum Institute of India. In India, Covishield was one of the primary vaccines provided to citizens.
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AstraZeneca’s Statements
AstraZeneca is currently facing a lawsuit in a UK court. The lawsuit was filed after claims surfaced on the internet that AstraZeneca’s vaccine caused deaths. To date, 51 deaths have been reported, hence 51 cases have been filed against the company.
AstraZeneca finally admitted in one of the court papers that, “Covishield can, in very rare cases, cause TTS.” TTS stands for Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome.
Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, a medical expert, told ANI,
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“TTS is thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, which is basically a clot in the blood vessels of the brain or elsewhere, along with a low platelet count. It is known to occur in very rare instances following certain types of vaccines and also from other causes. According to the WHO, adenovirus vector vaccines, in particular, have rarely been associated with this condition.”
TTS: About, Diagnosis, Treatment
TTS, or Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, is a serious yet rare health condition characterized by low platelet counts (thrombocytopenia) along with the formation of blood clots (thrombosis).
Various symptoms associated with TTS include neurological deficits, shortness of breath, leg swelling, abdominal pain, and severe headaches.
TTS can be diagnosed if blood tests are conducted to assess the levels of platelets in the blood. Moreover, to detect blood clots, imaging studies are required, reported the Times of India.
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TTS can be treated with a multidisciplinary approach. It includes supportive care, anticoagulation therapy to prevent blood clotting, and hospitalization.
To manage and stabilize platelet levels in the body, plasma exchange and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) can also be performed.
Patients with TTS are prone to severe complications like death and organ damage. Hence, close monitoring of patients by healthcare providers is a must.
The prime suspect in the murder case of a famous Punjabi singer, Goldy Brar, is alive, reported TOI.
Goldy is the infamous Canadian gangster who was earlier rumored to be dead in an alleged incident that took place at Fairmont and Holt Avenue last Tuesday.
In the incident, one of the two individuals reportedly got gunshot wound and succumbed to injuries at the hospital. You can read our story about California shooting incident in which Goldy Brar allegedly got shot here.
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As per the US police, reports of Goldy’s disappearance were circulating all over the internet on Tuesday. However, the U.S. authorities clarified the rumors of Brar’s disappearance in a California shooting incident are untrue.
The claims were refuted by the Fresno police department and labeled them as fake. William J. Dooley, the Lieutenant, debunked online speculations and announced that the victim of the California shooting was not Goldy Brar.
William J. Dooley stated,
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“If you are inquiring because of the online chatter claiming that the shooting victim is ‘Goldy Brar’, we can confirm that this is absolutely not true.”
Who is Goldy Brar?
Goldy Brar, hailing from Muktsar Sahib, Punjab, is a close ally of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. It is anticipated that he is the mastermind behind the assassination of Sidhu Moose Wala, the Punjabi pop icon.
According to The Economic Times, in January 2024, Satinderjit Singh, also known as Goldy Brar, was designated as a terrorist by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the anti-terror law, UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act).Â
Orders by the government-linked Goldy Brar to a listed terrorist organization under the UAPA, Babbar Khalsa International.Â
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Goldy Brar has never ceased to vanish from police’s eyes since he murdered Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. His father also was a Police Officer himself.
After completing his graduation and getting a BS degree, he has been operating from Canada remotely.
Last year Goldy’s statement, targetting Bollywood superstar Salman Khan next made huge media headlines.
The viral sex video case involving Prajwal Revanna, a member of the prominent Karnataka political family JDS, has created a storm in the Karnataka political scene.
The video, which involves a trail of deceit connected to a 16-acre ancestral property, has led to allegations of intimidation and blackmail, resulting in legal action and widespread dissemination of the tapes.
The central figure, now-suspended MP Prajwal Revanna, is the grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda.
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The origins of this scandal trace back to an acrimonious land dispute within the inner echelons of H D Deve Gowda’s son, H D Revanna’s family. In 2023, a trusted lieutenant of the Revanna family, Kartik, went rogue and decided to challenge the family’s monopoly.
At the center of the controversy was a 16-acre piece of land located in the ancestral village of the Deve Gowda clan in Holenarsipura.
This land soon became a prestige issue and the bone of contention between Kartik and the Revanna family.
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Tensions escalated when Kartik, feeling marginalized, lodged a complaint in December 2023 accusing Prajwal and his mother of using coercive means to hand over the land.
This was followed by a series of revelations about clandestine activities within the Deve Gowda lineage.
It was also revealed that Kartik had access to Prajwal’s mobile phone, with which he recorded the incriminating videos.
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The scandalous videos were initially shared on his personal device and later used as a tool of blackmail after Kartik’s fallout with the family.
Kartik later approached prominent lawyer and BJP functionary G Devaraj Gowda, which further aggravated the situation.
This led the Revanna family to seek legal action against some media outlets and individuals, alleging a smear campaign against them.
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The courts ruled to forbid the release of the videos in any manner.
G Devarajegowda maintained silence and did not release the videos, citing concerns for privacy and dignity.
However, his political rivals did not let the opportunity slip and started a widespread dissemination of the tapes ahead of the elections.
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According to Kartik, he doesn’t know what Devaraj did with the videos.
Whenever he asked about them, Devaraj told him to wait.
It is also said that Devaraj gave the videos to the BJP high command and even asked the party not to give a ticket to Prajwal, and wrote a letter to this effect.
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Later, Kartik asked Devaraj to return the pen drive containing the videos.
Devaraj gave him a copy of the letter he had written to the BJP high command, stating that even if he did not get justice from the court, he would seek it in this way.
Later, Kartik said that Devaraj discussed the matter with the media and started ignoring him.
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Devaraj also stated to the media that he had given some copies of the videos to some friends from Congress, but this has been outrightly denied by Kartik, who added that Devaraj had cheated him.
The Karnataka Government has initiated a special probe and has formed an SIT team to investigate the matter.
Things have become even more complicated after Prajwal’s departure for Frankfurt, Germany, just a day before the formation of the SIT, leading to many unanswered questions.
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The SIT team has been tasked with investigating allegations of sexual harassment and an alleged obscene video scandal against Prajwal Revanna, the current Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Janata Dal (Secular) from Hassan.
It is not clear how many women have been victims in this high-profile sex scandal. It is alleged that a number of women were sexually harassed, and videos were made.
More than 3000 videos have gone viral on different social media platforms like Twitter, Reddit and more.
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The videos started surfacing about 5 days before the start of the second phase of the voting for the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, which occurred on 20 April.
Voting for the second phase of the elections happened on 26 April in different parts of the country, including 14 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka.
Prajwal Revanna, however, remained unfazed and even participated in the election campaigns, asking voters to support the NDA alliance, of which JD(S) is a component.
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Post-elections, he took a flight to Germany, and opposition parties have alleged that he fled the country to escape prosecution.
Amidst these developments, a woman who had worked with the Revanna family filed an FIR and made many shocking charges against both HD Revanna and Prajwal Revanna.
The woman stated that she first came in contact with the Revanna family when she was employed as a worker during their son Sooraj’s marriage.
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Later, Prajwal Revanna would often call her alone to a room.
She revealed that six women used to work for the Revanna family and all were petrified and afraid of Prajwal Revanna.
The woman also alleged that whenever the female members of the Revanna family were out, Prajwal Revanna would call her and behave in an objectionable manner.
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She also accused him of sexually molesting her.
The Holanarsipur Police have since recorded the statement of the woman and are investigating the matter, and have registered a case against both H D Revanna and Prajwal Revanna.
