The country reported 52,972 new confirmed infections in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 18 lakh – the third highest in the world after the United States and Brazil – data from India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare showed on Monday.
With 771 new deaths, the Covid-19 disease has now killed 38,135 people in India, including a minister, Kamal Rani Verma, on Sunday in Uttar Pradesh.
On Sunday, Home Minister Amit Shah, as well as Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, were hospitalised after testing positive for coronavirus. Both were hospitalised, with mild symptoms, as a precautionary measure. Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is also recovering in hospital.
Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa’s daughter has also tested positive for coronavirus. His daughter has been admitted to Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru.
Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Babul Supriyo have gone into self-isolation as they had met Amit Shah recently.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram on Monday said he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Karti Chidambaram wrote on Twitter that he is in home quarantine.
Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit has also tested positive for Covid-19 and has been advised home isolation since his infection is mild.
On the other hand, Congress MLC R Prasanna Kumar has tested positive for coronavirus. He tested positive after returning from a party event in Bengaluru on July 27. While he does not have any symptoms, Kumar has asked those who came in contact with him to isolate themselves.
Congress MLA Rakibul Hussain, meanwhile, on Sunday became the seventh legislator in Assam to contract coronavirus infection.
As infections continue to surge in the country, having registered a record of 57,118 on Saturday, India has also stepped up efforts to test more people and search for a vaccine.
The health ministry said on Twitter that the country’s drugs authorities had allowed Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccines by volume, to conduct clinical trials of a vaccine candidate developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca Plc.