New Delhi
India scaled up its Covid-19 testing capacity to a record 4,20,898 in a single day even as a total of 1,58,49,068 persons have been tested for the dreaded disease since March.
The government is, however, not providing the break-up of the Antigen and RT-PCR tests. It is ramping up the tests by increasing the Antigen tests, though many states, including Maharashtra, have complained they are giving false results.
The recovery rate has also improved in the country to 63.54% of total infected as against 63.45% a day earlier. As many as 8.49 lakh patients have been discharged from hospitals on getting fully recovered, 32,226 of them in the past one day. The mortality rate also improved to 2.34% as against 2.37% on the previous day as 757 persons succumbed in a day, raising the total death toll to 31,358.
Those found with symptoms on Saturday stood at 48,916 as against 49,310 a day ago while total persons infected persons rose to 13.37 lakh, a rise of 2.98 lakh within a week. There are still 4.56 lakh persons under treatment, over one-third of all those infected or to be exact 34.11%.
The WHO dashboard shows 6,28,903 deaths worldwide due to Covid-19 and 1,52,96,926 infected with it, 2.84 lakh of them in just last one day. India has the third highest Covid-19 deaths and the third highest cases of its infection.
The US tops with 1,42,553 deaths and 39,38,094 total cases detected so far, followed by Brazil with 82,771 deaths and 22,27,514 found infected. WHO classified spread of the disease in the US and Brazil as community transmission while putting India in the category of clusters of cases.
Liquor sale in UP shopping malls from August 25
Premium, foreign and imported brands of liquor will be available in shopping malls from August 25, but there will be no permission to serve it inside the premises, officials said on Saturday.
Additional Chief Secretary, Excise, Sanjay Bhoosreddy said, "In view of the increasing trend of people purchasing various items from the shopping malls in the past few years, permission has been granted to sell costly foreign liquor in the shopping malls. Customers can buy imported foreign liquor, scotch manufactured in India, brandy, gin and all brands of wine from the shopping malls."
Meanwhile, 67 people were booked for taking part in congregational prayers at a mosque in Bahraich, UP, on Friday, police said. Amid rising cases of COVID-19, large gatherings are not allowed in the state, they said.
SII seeks DCGI nod for Ph 2, 3 trials of Oxford vaccine
New Delhi: Serum Institute of India (SII), which has partnered with AstraZeneca for manufacturing the Oxford vaccine candidate for Covid-19, has sought permission from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for conducting phase 2 and 3 human clinical trials of the potential vaccine, sources said on Saturday.
They said the Pune-based drug firm submitted its application to the DCGI on Friday seeking permission for conducting the trials of the vaccine candidate ‘Covishield’.
Meanwhile, Pune-based Mylab Discovery Solutions has scaled up its development and production of Covid-19 testing kit with the help of strategic funding by the Department of Biotechnology, a statement said. Currently, Mylab has a manufacturing capacity of 2,00,000 RT-PCR and 50,000 RNA tests.
