Coronavirus News wrap for June 21: Cipla to manufacture COVID-19 treatment drug for critical patients; UP death toll mounts to 550

With that it's a wrap to the LIVE updates of coronavirus news from India and around the world. Do join us tomorrow of all the top developments on the COVID-19 pandemic. Until then, stay safe. Good night.   

Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh LIVE Updates: With 21 fatalities, states death toll climbs to 550

As many as 21 COVID-19 fatalities were reported from Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, taking the death toll due to the disease to 550 in the state, a senior state government official said. Principal Secretary, Medical and Health Amit Mohan Prasad told reporters here that 21 COVID-19 deaths were reported from the state in the last 24 hours. As many as 10,995 or 62.01 COVID-19 patients have completely recovered from the illness in the state, he said. Over 5.60 lakh samples have so far been tested for the disease in the state, including 16,125 on Saturday, Prasad said, adding that testing is continuously being expanded. Prasad said soon antigen testing will also be started in select cities of the state. It will be started in the National Capital Region (NCR), Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi and Gorakhpur.

Coronavirus in West Bengal LIVE Updates: Death toll climbs to 555 with 15 more fatalities

The death toll due to COVID-19 in West Bengal rose to 555 on Sunday after 15 more people succumbed to the disease, while the tally reached 13,531 with 441 fresh cases, the state health department said in a bulletin. All the fresh deaths were due to comorbidities where COVID-19 was incidental, it said. With 432 patients being discharged from hospitals on Sunday, the recovery rate in the state has improved to over 59 per cent, the bulletin said. West Bengal now has 5,093 active cases. Since Saturday, 10,549 samples have been tested in the state.

Coronavirus in Goa LIVE Updates: 64 new COVID-19 cases reported across state, tally climbs to 818

The number of COVID-19 cases in Goa rose by 64 to 818 on Sunday, which is the second biggest single day rise in the recent past, state Health department said. Most of the new cases were reported from Mangor Hill hotspot in Vasco which had contributed a large number of cases earlier. Six patients were discharged in the day, taking the number of recovered cases to 135, as per the Health department bulletin. The coastal state now has 683 active cases. A total 338 people from Mangor Hill have tested positive for coronavirus so far while 205 others have some kind of links to this area, as per the government data. New cases were also reported from Margao town in Salcette taluka and its surrounding areas like Ambelim, Navelim, Curtorim and Raia.

Coronavirus News LIVE Updates: Cipla gets regulator nod to manufacture Gilead's COVID-19 drug remdesivir

Pharmaceutical major Cipla on Sunday received Indian drug regulator’s approval to make generic versions of Gilead Science’s experimental COVID-19 treatment drug remdesivir. Cipla’s drug will be called Cipremi. “Cipla has been granted regulatory approval by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for restricted emergency use in the country as part of the accelerated approval process considering the urgent and unmet medical need,” Cipla said in a statement. It added: “As part of a risk management plan, Cipla will provide training on use of the drug, informed patient consent documents, conduct post marketing surveillance as well as conduct a Phase IV clinical trial on Indian patients.”

Coronavirus in Delhi LIVE Updates: 3,000 fresh cases reported in Delhi; 63 more die of COVID-19

The national capital recorded 3,000 fresh novel coronavirus cases on Sunday, taking the COVID-19 tally in the city near the 60,000-mark, while the death toll due to the disease increased to 2,175, authorities said. It was the third day on the trot that the number of cases touched or crossed the 3,000-mark. On Saturday, Delhi had witnessed 3,630 cases, the highest single-day spike here. On Friday, the number was 3,137. As many as 63 fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours. The death toll from the coronavirus now stands at 2,175 and the total number of cases at 59,746, according to the latest Delhi health department bulletin. It said as many as 33,013 patients have recovered, been discharged or migrated so far, while there are 24,558 active cases.

Coronavirus in India LIVE Updates: Apparel makers eye global PPE market, seek end of export ban

Indian apparel manufacturers have scaled up production of personal protective equipment (PPEs) to 800,000 kits a day in four months and are now eyeing a share in the $60 billion global PPE market, according to A. Sakthivel, Chairman of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC). In a statement on Sunday, Sakthivel reiterated the industry's demand for lifting of ban on PPEs exports to allow the companies to cater to the global demand. "The entrepreneurial apparel industry is prepared to play a key role in the global PPE market, which is estimated to be $60 billion plus in the next five years," he said.

Coronavirus in Delhi LIVE Updates: Health Minister Satyendar Jain improving as fever subsides, say officials

The condition of Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain has improved and fever subsided, officials said on Sunday, a day after he was administered plasma therapy at a private COVID-19 facility here. Also, a team of senior doctors from a few government and private hospitals has been kept on standby to ensure the best medical care for Jain who is admitted in ICU of Max hospital, Saket, according to sources. The condition of the 55-year-old minister is improving and he is being monitored by doctors, the officials said. His fever has subsided and his oxygen saturation level (Spo2) has increased, and he's likely to come out of the ICU by Monday, they said. Jain was administered plasma therapy at the Max Hospital in Saket on Saturday and his condition is stable now, they said. A team of doctors from a few government and private hospitals has been kept on standby to assist the doctors attending to him, if needed, the sources told PTI.

Coronavirus in Meghalaya LIVE Updates: State extends night curfew, bans inter-state movement of people until June 30

The Meghalaya government has extended the night curfew from 9 pm to 5 am till June 30 to contain the spread of coronavirus, officials said on Sunday. The night curfew was to be in force till Monday. The state government has also extended the ban on inter-state movement of people till June 30, they said. "District deputy commissioners have been asked to issue extension of night curfew orders and directives to extend ban on inter-state movement of people," a senior government official told PTI. The official orders, however, will not apply to security forces, medical teams on duty, wholesale and retail pharmacies and other essential services, he said. As part of measures to ease the lockdown norms, the Meghalaya government has allowed operationalisation of over 400 shops out of th e 1,222 shops identified at the IewDuh market, from Monday.

Coronavirus in Kerala LIVE Updates: 133 new COVID-19 cases recorded, overall tally rises to 3,170

Thiruvananthapuram, June 21 (PTI) Kerala on Sunday reported a record single-day spike of 133 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of infections in the state to 3,170. Of the fresh coronavirus cases detected today, 80 had reached Kerala from abroad and 43 came from other states. The Health department informed that nine people in the state contracted the disease through their contacts while one health health worker was also infected. In the bulletin issued on Sunday evening, Health Minister K K Shailaja said 93 people tested negative for the deadly virus, taking the total number of cured persons to 1,659. "A total of 1,43,969 people are under observation in the state of which 2,050 are in isolationwards across various hospitals. As of now, 1,490 persons are under treatment in the state," she said in a release. Thrissur districthad the most number of positive cases with 16 today, followed by neighbouring Palakkad with 15.