This exponential surge in the daily testing capacities strongly demonstrates the determined escalation of the testing infrastructure in the country.

The last one crore tests were conducted in merely 9 days. The Tests Per Million (TPM) stand at 49,948 as of today.

Evidence has revealed that higher numbers of testing subsequently leads to lowered positivity rate. States that are testing the highest numbers are also reporting a gradual decline in the positivity rate.
The national cumulative positivity rate stands at 8.44% today.

With the expansion of testing infrastructure, the daily testing by States/UTs has also increased. 23 States/UTs have better tests per million than the national average (49,948).

As reiterated by the Prime Minister, as he reviewed the status and preparedness of 7 States/UTs with high burden of caseload recently, testing forms an integral pillar of COVID response and management.

The Centre’s three-pronged strategy of ‘TEST TRACK TREAT’ begins with testing. CHASE THE VIRUS approach of the Union Government aims to catch every missing person through testing to curb spread of the infection. Several measures have been taken by the Union Government through calibrated steps to widen the testing net and ensure easier and more accessible testing by all across the country.

States/UTs have been empowered with flexibility to ensure higher testing. They have been advised that all symptomatic negatives of Rapid Antigen Tests are mandatorily subjected to RT-PCR.

Expanded diagnostic lab network has given a sharp boost to the enhanced testing numbers.

The testing network has grown to 1818 labs today, including 1084 labs in the government sector and 734 private labs. These include:
• Real-Time RT PCR based testing labs: 923 (Govt: 478 + Private: 445)
• TrueNat based testing labs: 769 (Govt: 572 + Private: 197)
• CBNAAT based testing labs: 126 (Govt: 34 + Private: 92)

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Public Health and Hospitals is a State subject, as such responsibility for timely payment of incentive to ASHAs lies with the respective States/UTs. Howe The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, requests the States/UTs time and again, to ensure that incentives are paid to ASHAs without any delay.

A statement showing, State/UT-wise, numbers ASHAs died during COVID 19 activities as reported by the States/UTs under “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID 19”, is given at Annexure-I.

A statement showing details of claim filed and processed for ASHA workers under “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: Insurance Scheme for Health workers fighting COVID 19” is given at Annexure-ll.

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These States/UT are Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Punjab.
More than 63% of the Active Cases of the country are concentrated in these seven States/ UT. They also account for 65.5% of the total confirmed cases and 77% of the total deaths. Along with the other five States, Punjab and Delhi have reported an increase in the number of cases being reported recently. Maharashtra, Punjab and Delhi are reporting high mortality with more than 2.0% Case Fatality Rate (CFR). Other than Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, their positivity rate is observed to be above the national average of 8.52%.

The Centre has been leading the fight against COVID in the country in effective collaboration and close coordination with the State/UT governments. The Union Government is supporting them to ramp up the healthcare and medical infrastructure. The clinical management capacities of the doctors manning the ICUs have been substantially upgraded through the e-ICU tele-consultation exercise undertaken by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in collaboration with AIIMS, New Delhi. High level review with the States/UTs has ensured adequate availability of medical oxygen in the hospitals and COVID healthcare facilities.

The Centre is also regularly deputing multi-disciplinary teams to States/UTs to support and handhold them in matters of containment, surveillance, testing and efficient clinical management of the positive cases. The Central teams also guide the local authorities in effectively managing the challenges related to timely diagnosis and needed follow up.

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With over one lakh patients cured in last 24 hours, India has continued the consistent growth of single-day COVID-19 recoveries during the last four days with over 90,000 recovered each day for the last four days, said Union Health Ministry on Tuesday. India cured record 1,01,468 patients in a day, dragging the active cases below 10-lakh mark.

India’s Coronavirus case tally crossed 55-lakh mark on Tuesday with a spike of 75,083 new cases and 1,053 deaths in last 24 hours.

The total case tally stands at 55, 62,664 including 9,75,861 active cases, 44,97,868 cured/ discharged/ migrated and 88,935 deaths, said Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) has tested 6,53,25,779 samples tested up to 21st September for coronavirus. Of these, 9,33,185 samples were tested yesterday, reports ICMR web portal.
With this, the total number of recoveries are nearly 45 lakh (44,97,867). This has resulted in the Recovery Rate touching 80.86%.

79% of the new recovered cases are being reported from ten States/UTs, viz. Maharashtra, Karnataka , Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Delhi, Kerala, West Bengal and Punjab.
Maharashtra continues to lead with more than 32,000 (31.5%) new recovered patients. Andhra Pradesh contributed more than 10,000 to the single day recoveries.

India’s landmark achievement of recording the maximum number of recoveries has positioned it as the top country globally.

The continuous streak of very high level of recoveries in the country is a testimony of the Centre-lad proactive and graded strategy of TEST TRACK TREAT. The effective clinical management and treatment protocols issued by the Union Government have been updated from time to time with the emergence of new medical and scientific evidence.

The Union Government has also allowed for rational use of ‘Investigational Therapies’ like Remdesevir, convalescent plasma and Tocilizumab. Adoption of measures such as proning, use of high flow oxygen, non-invasive ventilation, and use of steroids and anti-coagulants have resulted in a high recovery rate in COVID patients. Other measures have supplemented the effective COVID management through supervised home/facility isolation for mild/moderate cases, improved ambulance services of for ferrying patients for prompt and timely treatment.

Ministry of Health in active collaboration with AIIMS, New Delhi has been conducting the ‘National e-ICU on COVID-19 Management’ exercise which handholds ICU doctors of State/UT hospitals through the Centers of Excellence. Held twice a week, on Tuesday and Friday, these tele-consultation sessions have played a crucial role in India’s high recoveries and steadily declining case fertility rate. So far, 20 such National e-ICUs have been held covering 278 hospitals of 28 States/UTs across the country.

The Centre has been deputing multi-disciplinary teams to support and assist efforts of the State/UT Governments. Regular high level review has ensured adequate availability of medical oxygen in hospitals and health facilities across the country. These have together have played a critical intervention role in India’s high recoveries and maintained low Case Fatality Rate (CFR), which currently stands at 1.59%

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Coronavirus infections topped 30 million around the globe on Thursday as the World Health Organization warned of “alarming rates of transmission” across Europe and cautioned against shortening quarantine periods.

With Maharashtra reporting 24,619 coronavirus cases the total number of infections in the state rose to while the death toll soared to 31,351 with an addition of 398 deaths during the day. the state now has 3,01,752 active cases.

Mumbai reported 2,389 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day count so far, taking the tally to 1,78,275 on Thursday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said. Also, 43 more patients succumbed to the infection, pushing up the toll to 8,320, it said. The previous highest single-day case count was 2,371, reported on September 10. According to the civic body’s update, the city’s active COVID-19 cases rose to 32,849, the highest in the past couple of months.

With 16 people working at Mantralaya, the state secretariat building, succumbing to Covid-19 so far, government officials have threatened to stop work if the condition of 100 per cent attendance is not withdrawn. In a representation to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday, the Maharashtra State Gazetted Officers Federation (MSGOF) and the Maharashtra Mantralaya Officers Association (MMOA) has blamed the lack of precautionary measures and the violation of social distancing norms for the surge in the number of cases, while arguing that the decision mandating 100 per cent attendance of class A and class B officials was ill-conceived.

Prohibitory orders restricting the movement of people have been extended in Mumbai till September 30 in view of rising coronavirus cases, an official said on Thursday. The restrictions under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure are in place since lockdown began.

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Dr. Harsh Vardhan extolled the virtues of investing in public health, an approach already underway in India under the leadership of Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi.

He said The current pandemic and the global crisis arising out of that highlights, more than ever, the need for national and global solidarity.

Flattening the curve globally will require international, multisectoral collaborative efforts to ensure that health systems across the world are able to maintain sufficient capacity to address the flux of complicated COVID-19 cases and protect the vulnerable and elderly in the world population.

We need to focus on creating effective health systems for improved pandemic preparedness. While all the other action plans are a response to a pandemic, a well-developed healthcare system can support even in containing the pandemic , health minister said .

There is a need to ensure that access to COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines is fair and equitable. Access to protection should not be a factor of ability to pay.

India with a history of frugal and quality manufacturing will continue to play its role through our Make-In-India and Make-for the World endeavor and will support fully the development of research and digital capabilities for managing delivery.

We all need to capitalize on existing programs such as the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), and ensure equitable global access to diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines, while strengthening health systems he stressed .

Inspired by experiences of previous outbreaks such as SARS in 2003 and Ebola in 2014–2015, global solidarity is a must in order to prevent further morbidity and mortality. Examples in leadership and collaborations should be celebrated as examples to follow. Open communication and transparency will be crucial in monitoring the evolution of the disease in the global effort of flattening the curve.

India is committed to Universal Healthcare Coverage and in these stressful times, India stands together with the world to realize the shared mission to save lives and protect people’s health, and to re-energize the global economy at the earliest.

This is also a time for decisive public health leadership and for preparing for future waves and the post-COVID-19 era

Public health leaders must look beyond borders. Only by learning from the global experience in our battle against a virus that respects no borders, can we honour the lives already lost and implement life-saving measures for current and future patients.

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“Last Friday I had got examined and was tested negative, hence attended the Parliament. But last night I had headache and mild fever, got examined and have tested positive for Covid-19,” he said in a tweet. “Operating under strict protocols and medication as advised by doctors. Those who interacted with me may please consult doctors.”

On Wednesday, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said he has tested positive for Covid-19 and has isolated himself. He also requested those who had come in contact with him to get tested.

“Yesterday, I was feeling weak and consulted my doctor. During the course of my check-up, I have been tested COVID-19 positive. I am at present doing well with the blessings and good wishes of all. I have isolated myself,” said the Union Minister of of Road Transport and Highways in a tweet, urging those who have come in contact with him to undergo tests.

Mediapersons authorised to cover the ongoing Monsoon Session must tale Rapid Antigen Tests for Covid-19 mandatorily and on a daily basis at the reception of the Parliament House. Testing at the reception will take place from 9am to 2pm. Officials of Parliament will also have to undergo mandatory testing.

BJP Rajya Sabha member Ashok Gasti, who was undergoing treatment for Covid-19 at a private hospital in Bengaluru, passed on late Thursday night. He had tested positive for coronavirus on September 2.

The hospital authorities where the first-time MP was being treated said Gasti was critically ill with multi-organ failure on life support system.

Several members of Parliament including Home Minister Amit Shah and RLP MP Hanuman Beniwal had tested positive for Covid-19.

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“Modi government does not know how many migrant workers died or how many people lost their jobs during the lockdown,” he tweeted in Hindi.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi left to go abroad last week for the Congress chief’s health check-up. They will not attend the first part of the monsoon session of parliament. However, Mr Gandhi continues to attack the centre in his daily tweets.

You didn’t count so what, nobody died? Yes, but it is unfortunate that there was no impact on the government. The world saw them dying but the Modi government remained clueless,” Gandhi added.

In reply to a written question in the Lok Sabha, minister of state (MoS) for labour and employment Santosh Kumar Gangwar had said that the government did not have any record of deaths of migrant workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. “No such data was maintained,” the minister had said in the written reply.

In reply to another question, Gangwar had said the government did not have any assessment of job losses of migrant labourers during the viral outbreak.

When asked “whether the government has provided any compensation/economic assistance to victims’ families,” the government had said, “the question does not arise”, since it had no records in the first place.

However, on the total number of migrants who had returned to their home states, the minister presented state-wise data and said, “More than 630,7000 migrants shifted to various destinations during the Covid-19 pandemic. While 4611 Shramik Special Trains were run to ferry the migrant returnees.”

According to an estimate, 122 million people have lost their jobs because of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. Around 75% of these were small traders and daily-wage labourers.

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Some Reports on social media suggested that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had recommended the Centre to impose another lockdown from September 25 have gone viral on social media, along with a screenshot claiming to be of the NDMA’s order.

“In order to contain the spread of Covid-19 and decrease the mortality rate in the country, the National Disaster Management Authority, along with the Planning commission, hereby urges the government of India and directs the Prime Minister office, ministry of home affairs to re-impose a strict nationwide lockdown of 46 days starting from midnight September 25, 2020. Maintaining the supply chain of essential commodities in the country, therefore hereby NDMA is issuing a prior notice to the ministry to plan accordingly,” said the “order”.

PIB tweeted that the NDMA ‘order’ in circulation was fake.

“Claim: An order purportedly issued by National Disaster Management Authority claims that it has directed the government to re-impose a nationwide lockdown from 25th September. PIB Fact Check: This order is Fake. NDMA has not issued any such order to re-impose lockdown,” PIB tweeted.

Talk of another strict lockdown has emerged alongside a spike in coronavirus cases. India, the world’s second worst-hit, has more than 48 lakh infections. Over the past few days, there have been over 90,000 cases daily.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said despite “unlock” measures to open up the economy, citizens must follow all precautions including masks and social distancing until a vaccine is found.

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