Coronavirus India Updates: Death Toll Tops 50,000; Lowest Fresh Cases In Six Days

I have added to the Covid count by testing positive. Mild symptoms n I hope it stays that way.

— Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (@kiranshaw) August 17, 2020

2,244 new #COVID19 cases, 1,550 recoveries reported in Odisha on 16th August. Total number of cases stands at 62,294 including 19,612 active cases and 42,276 recovered cases: Health & Family Welfare Department., Odisha

— ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2020

Trinamool Congress MLA Samaresh Das, who had tested positive for Covid-19 recently, died at a hospital in West Bengal's East Midnapore district on Monday, party sources said. He was 76.

The three-time MLA from Egra assembly constituency in the district was admitted to the hospital a few days back after he had tested positive for coronavirus and developed complications of heart and kidney, party sources said.

He died this morning, a senior party leader said.

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, in a message, condoled his death.

She said his demise has left a void in the state politics.

Das, a senior leader of the TMC in the district, was first elected as an MLA from Egra assembly constituency in 2009 during a by-election.

Source: PTI

3,00,41,400 samples tested up to 16th August for #COVID19. Of these, 7,31,697 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) pic.twitter.com/2HPc53EYb6

— ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2020

Bihar's Covid-19 caseload rose to 1.04 lakh on Sunday as 2,187 more people tested positive for the infection, while 22 fresh fatalities pushed its coronavirus death toll to 537, a health bulletin said.

Patna district registered the highest number of fresh cases at 255, followed by Bhagalpur (177), Madhubani (127), Aurangabad (113) and Muzaffarpur and Saharsa (97 each), it said.

Five fresh fatalities were reported in Patna, four in Gaya, two each in East Champaran and Rohtas and one each in Bhagalpur, Bhojpur, Buxar, Darbhanga, Gopalganj, Munger, Nawada, West Champaran and Siwan districts, the bulletin said.

Bihar has so far tested 16.79 lakh samples for Covid- 19, including 67,212 on the previous day.

Source: PTI

Global Update

Australia had its deadliest day, and the state of Victoria extended a state of emergency. U.S. fatalities exceeded 1,000 for the fifth consecutive day, though cases slowed. Italy and Spain told nightclubs to close. France’s public health agency warned that all of the country’s Covid-19 indicators are trending upward.

South Korea warned of another mass infection after reporting the highest number of cases since early March. China and Russia have plans to jointly conduct vaccine clinical trials, a top Chinese virus expert said.

Globally, the virus has now infected nearly 21.5 million people globally with the death toll at 773,900.

Track all Covid-19 related news and updates for India, here.