Health

12 July 2020; MEMO: Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani called on Saturday for big gatherings such as weddings and wakes to be banned to stem a rise in coronavirus infections, but insisted the country’s economy had to stay open.

Shortly after Rouhani’s televised speech, a police official in Tehran announced the closure of all wedding and mourning venues in the capital until further notice.

Iran has been gradually relaxing its lockdown since mid-April but has recently reported a sharp rise in the infection rate.

Ballia, Jul 12 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Sports and Youth Welfare Upendra Tiwari has tested positive for COVID-19, his representative said.

Rakesh Chaubey 'Bhola, the representative of the minister said, "Tiwari felt feverish almost two days back and his COVID test was done on Saturday."

"The report on Sunday morning stated that Tiwari has tested positive for COVID-19," he said.

Washington, Jul 12 (AP/PTI) President Donald Trump wore a mask during a visit to a military hospital on Saturday, the first time the president has been seen in public with the type of facial covering recommended by health officials as a precaution against spreading or becoming infected by the novel coronavirus.

Trump flew by helicopter to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in suburban Washington to meet wounded servicemembers and health care providers caring for COVID-19 patients.

New York, Jul 12 (AP/PTI) A long-expected upturn in US coronavirus deaths has begun, driven by fatalities in states in the South and West, according to data on the pandemic.

The number of deaths per day from the virus had been falling for months, and even remained down as states like Florida and Texas saw explosions in cases and hospitalisations and reported daily US infections broke records several times in recent days.

Kohima, Jul 11 (PTI) The Nagaland government has decided to extend the ongoing lockdown in the state till July 31, and charge fees for COVID-19 tests and stay at quarantine centres at a later stage.

The ongoing lockdown in the state, which was supposed to be lifted on July 16, was extended for another 15 days at a meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC) on COVID-19 on Friday.

Pune, July 11 (PTI) Traders and opposition BJP on Saturday expressed displeasure over the Maharashtra government's move to reimpose lockdown in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad.

Traders association said the decision would lead to unrest among businessmen in the city.

A 10-day lockdwon will be implemented in Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and rural areas adjoining the Pune municipal limits from July 13 amid the rising cases of coronavirus infection.

Mumbai, Jul 11 (PTI) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Saturday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted in the isolation ward of a city hospital.

The 77-year-old actor, who is at the Nanavati hospital, shared his health update on Twitter.

I have tested COVID positive. Shifted to Hospital. Hospital informing authorities, family and staff undergone tests , results awaited, Bachchan tweeted.

"All that have been in close proximity to me in the last 10 days are requested to please get themselves tested, he added.

New Delhi, Jul 11 (PTI) With a record single-day increase of 27,114 cases, India's COVID-19 tally zoomed past the eight-lakh mark on Saturday, just four days after crossing the seven-lakh post, according to health ministry data.

This was the eighth consecutive day that COVID-19 cases in the country increased by more than 22,000.

According to data updated at 8 am, the death toll climbed to 22,123 with 519 people succumbing to the disease in 24 hours

New Delhi, July 10 (PTI) India saw yet another record single-day jump of 26,506 COVID-19 cases pushing its tally to 793,802 on Friday, while the death toll climbed to 21,604 with 475 people succumbing to the infection, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The number of recoveries stands at 4,95,51, while there are 276,685 active cases of coronavirus infection presently in the country, the updated data at 8 am showed.

Islamabad, Jul 10 (PTI) The coronavirus death toll in Pakistan crossed the 5,000-mark on Friday with 75 new fatalities, the health ministry said.

According to the Ministry of National Health Services, another 2,751 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the national tally to 243,599.