Coronavirus News Highlights: Complete lockdown in Bihar from July 16; Bengaluru shuts down for a week

Nearly a dozen states have so far reimposed lockdown in selected areas for varying periods to check the surge in COVID-19, while Bihar on Tuesday extended the curbs to the whole of the state from July 16 to July 31.

A week-long total shutdown came into effect in Bengaluru from 8 pm on Tuesday. Karnataka's Dharwad and Dakshina Kannada districts too will come under lockdown for nine days and seven days respectively from Wednesday.

There was a huge rush of customers at grocery stores and liquor shops ahead of the lockdown.

Besides Karnataka, states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya have already announced area-wise lockdown for different durations.

West Bengal on Tuesday extended the total lockdown in containment zones till July 19, the state home department said.

Sikkim also imposed total lockdown in Rongli and Pakyong sub-divisions from 6 AM on Wednesday.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi announced the 15-day total lockdown in the state from July 16. A shutdown had earlier been imposed in nearly a third of its 38 districts.

– PTI

Tami Nadu records 4,526 new COVID-19 cases, 67 fatalities, bringing infection tally to 1,47,324 and death count to 2,099; number of active cases stands at 47,912 (PTI)

COVID-19 impact: For the first time in India, a sanitizer for your pets

The sanitizer can be used on the pets’ paws and coat on a daily basis... Read More

Madhya Pradesh Home Department issues an order, instructing all district collectors to ensure that no religious programmes are organised at public places. "Not more than 5 people should gather at a religious place at a time," it reads.

Not more than 20 people are allowed at wedding functions and not more than 10 people at family functions, birthday and other celebrations. Twenty people can participate in the last rites. (ANI)

West Bengal extends total lockdown in containment zones to July 19. (PTI)

Many textile or garment companies had got into the business to make a quick buck and compensate for the losses in their core operations. Lucknow-based Karam Industries, which manufactures industrial personal safety products like helmets, goggles, face shields, and work boots, started making coveralls and masks, to take advantage of the huge demand for personal protection equipment (PPE), especially for healthcare workers.

Karam and many other firms, which took advantage of COVID-19 are now facing a glut in supply and fall in prices.

Predictably, some of these manufacturers, which are seeing a huge slump in their textile or garment business, got into the PPE business to make a quick buck and compensate for the loss of their core business.

The supply glut has led to the prices of PPEs falling almost by half, say manufacturers.

Click here to read the full story

Delhi records 1,606 fresh coronavirus cases, taking tally to 1,15,346; death toll climbs to 3,446. (PTI)

Gujarat reports highest one-day rise of 915 COVID-19 cases taking tally to 43,723; death toll at 2,071 as 14 die. (PTI)

Former Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping nun in Kerala, tests positive for COVID-19 (PTI)

Wishing my Cabinet colleague Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa Ji a speedy recovery. He has tested positive for #Covid19 today. Looking forward to having you rejoin us soon again.

— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) July 14, 2020

COVID-19 death toll in West Bengal rises to 980 with 24 more fatalities; 1,390 fresh cases take tally to 32,838: Health department (Inputs from PTI)

1606 #COVID19 positive cases, 1924 recovered/discharged/migrated and 35 deaths reported in Delhi today. The total number of positive cases in the national capital rises to 1,15,346 including 93,236 recovered/discharged/migrated and 3,446 deaths: Government of Delhi pic.twitter.com/IM4Yv7P1zB

— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2020

|Odisha govt to start plasma therapy to treat critically ill patients in 3 dedicated COVID-19hospitals in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack from tomorrow: Officials. (Inputs from PTI)