Coronavirus India News highlights: Punjab govt lifts September 13 lockdown in view of NEET 2020 exams

Twenty-nine Delhi MLAs underwent COVID-19 tests on September 11 at a temporary testing centre set up at the Assembly complex ahead of a one-day special session to be held on September 14. Delhi Speaker Ram Niwas Goel said all the legislators attending the session will have to carry the report of their COVID-19 test on September 14. An official said that so far, three people posted at the secretariat, including a security person and a private secretary to the deputy speaker, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection.

Doctors at a Hyderabad hospital have successfully performed double lung transplant surgery on a coronavirus patient. Dr Sandeep Attawar, who performed the surgery, told ANI: “Such stories give ray of hope to people who have terminal lung disease due to COVID.”

Gujarat registered its highest single-day spike on September 11 with 1,344 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours. The state health department said 16 Covid-19 patients died during this period, taking the total COVID-19 death toll to 3,183. Gujarat’s total coronavirus tally is now 1,10,971, with 91,470 recoveries, including 1,240 patients discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours.

The Congress government in Punjab decided to lift the coronavirus lockdown on September 13, in view of the NEET 2020 examinations. Shops selling non-essential items will, however, remain closed, Punjab government officials said. Earlier, the West Bengal government had also lifted the September 12 lockdown in view of the NEET medical entrance exams.

Russia's sovereign wealth fund said on September 11 that more than one billion people would receive its COVID-19 vaccine "Sputnik V" in 2020-21. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has already signed two deals to export the vaccine abroad and on the Brazilian state of Bahia on Friday agreed to conduct Phase III clinical trials of the vaccine.

releases guidelines for hotels to resume operations

The Maharashtra government, on September 11, released Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guideline for hotels, lodges, and resorts, which have been allowed to fully resume operations in the state after nearly six months. As per the guidelines, all arriving guests will have to be screened at entry points using thermal guns and they will have to be checked for coronavirus symptoms such as cough and cold. Only asymptomatic tourists will be allowed to stay at hotels, lodges, etc. People who arrive without prior bookings or reservations or have flu-like symptoms will not be allowed ti put up at the above-mentioned facilities.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra crossed the 10 lakh-mark on September 11 with 24,886 new COVID-19 positive cases being reported in the past 24 hours along with 393 deaths. The total number of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra now is 10,15,681 including 7,15,023 recovered/ discharged patients, 2,71,566 active cases and 28,724 death, the State Health Department informed.

The first European "travel bubble" created during the coronavirus pandemic by Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, was burst on September 11, as Latvia said it is mandating a 14-day quarantine for everyone arriving from Estonia. Estonia has been reporting 21 novel coronavirus infections per 1,00,000 population over the previous two weeks, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, passing the 16 threshold set by Latvia for mandatory quarantine.

Delhi recorded 4,266 fresh COVID-19 cases on Friday, taking the tally to over 2.09 lakh, while the death toll climbed to 4,687, authorities said.

The total number of cases in the national capital stands at 2,09,748. This is the third successive day when over 4,000 cases have been recorded in Delhi in a day. The city reported a record 4,308 cases on Thursday.

Andhra Pradesh on Friday broke the 10,000 cases streak thats been running for the past couple of weeks, showing a fresh addition of 9,999 COVID-19 cases in a day that saw more than 11,000 patients recovering from the infection.

The latest bulletin said 77 more COVID-19 patients succumbed in 24 hours ending 9 AM on Friday.

The Supreme Court Friday asked the Centre as to why it cannot issue an Ordinance that funds collected under the welfare scheme meant for building and construction workers across the country be used for other workers as well during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said that other workers are equally poor and the Centre has to be proactive on this issue.

Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi said he tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday but was asymptomatic and "doing fine".

"I have tested #Covid19 positive today. I am doing fine. Taking the advice of doctors. Requesting all those who have come in close contact with me in the last few days to monitor their health and get tested in case of any symptoms," he tweeted.

Aftab Shivdasani on Friday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been advised to quarantine at home.

Shivdasani shared the news in statement posted on Twitter, saying that he "showed minor symptoms" of the novel disease, following which he got himself tested.