Coronavirus updates | PM Modi to review COVID situation in Varanasi as India records highest single-day rise of over 2.6 lakh cases

Worldwide COVID-19 death toll tops a staggering 3 million.

The global death toll from the coronavirus topped a staggering 3 million people amid repeated setbacks in the worldwide vaccination campaign and a deepening crisis in India, Brazil, and France, among other places.

And the true number is believed to be significantly higher because of possible government concealment and the many cases overlooked in the early stages of the outbreak that began in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019.

You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.

Here are the latest updates:

PM Modi to chair meeting to review COVID situation in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting on Sunday to review the COVID-19 situation in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency. 

"At 11 a.m., Prime Minister @narendramodi will be chairing a meeting to review the COVID-19 situation in Varanasi. The meeting will be attended by top officials, local administration and doctors who are involved in fighting COVID in Varanasi," his office said.

The holy city has also witnessed a surge in COVID-19 cases like other major urban centres of Uttar Pradesh. – PTI

India records highest single-day rise of 2,61,500 cases, 1,501 deaths

A record single-day rise of 2,61,500 coronavirus infections has taken India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases to 1,47,88,109, while active cases have surpassed the 18-lakh mark, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

The death toll increased to 1,77,150 with a record 1,501 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 a.m. showed.

Registering a steady increase for the 39th day in a row, the active cases stand at 18,01,316, comprising 12.18% of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 86.62%, the ministry said. – PTI

Mumbai cops grill pharma director over ‘excess’ Remdesivir stock; BJP fumes

Mumbai police questioned a pharma company director over alleged excess stock of the Remdesivir drug and allowed him to leave after he produced necessary documents, a police official said on Sunday.

“He had stocked at least 60,000 vials. The State and central governments had allowed him to sell the stock, originally meant for export, in the domestic market due to scarcity of the drug used to treat coronavirus patients,” the police official said.

The opposition BJP in Maharashtra objected to the pharma executive’s grilling by Mumbai police, saying the Shiv Sena-led government in the State was playing politics amid the pandemic. – PTI

Mayor claims ‘more COVID deaths’ took place than reported by Delhi govt.

More deaths from COVID-19 took place on Friday according to municipal records vis-a-vis the figures reported by the city government, North Delhi Mayor Jai Prakash claimed on Saturday.

According to the official data shared by the health department, 141 fatalities were reported on April 16.

The North Delhi mayor, however, claimed that the "death count from COVID-19 was 193 on Friday".

"According to cremations and burials performed of COVID-19 victims, the number of fatalities stands at 193," he claimed.

In civic areas across Delhi, 300 platforms have been reserved for COVID victims, he said. – PTI

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