COVID-19 in India: Updates till December 31, 2020

December 31, 2020 Posted by India Briefing Written by Dezan Shira & Associates Reading Time: 31 minutes

(This article was last updated December 31, 2020. The COVID numbers are as per the daily updates from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as of 08:00 IST.)

December 31, 2020

India reported 21,821 new COVID-19 cases and 299 deaths in the last 24 hours. The country’s total coronavirus caseload reached 10,266,674, including 257,656 active cases, 9,860,280 recoveries, and 148,738 total deaths.

December 30, 2020

India reported 20,550 new COVID-19 cases and 286 deaths in the last 24 hours. Total cases in the country reached 10,244,853, including 262,272 active cases, 9,834,141 recoveries, and 148,439 total deaths.

December 29, 2020

India reported 16,432 new COVID-19 cases as per today’s morning update from the health ministry; the country’s tally is now at 10,224,303. 252 additional deaths were reported on Monday.
There are 268,581 active cases, 9,807,569 cases have recovered, and the death toll is at 148,153.

December 28, 2020

India begins dry run of COVID-19 vaccination program in four states — two districts each in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, and Punjab.
India reported 20,021 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the coronavirus tally to 10,207,871. There are 277,301 active cases, 9,782,669 recoveries, and the death toll is at 147,901.

December 27, 2020

The Times of India reports: “Over 750 volunteers have been administered the first dose of Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covaxin’ as part of its phase-3 trials at a city hospital [Sola Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, Gujarat], and none of them have experienced any side effects so far, a senior doctor said on Sunday.”
India reported 18,732 fresh COVID-19 infections, with total cases rising to 10,187,850. 279 new deaths were reported, taking the total death count to 147,622. There are 278,690 active cases.

December 24, 2020

Karnataka government withdraws night curfew order after public outcry.
India reported 24,712 new COVID-19 cases and 312 deaths in the last 24 hours. India’s total tally reach 10,123,778 cases, including 283,849 active cases, 9,693,173 discharged cases, and 146,756 total deaths.

December 23, 2020

Karnataka has revised its night curfew schedule; it will now impose curfew from 11pm to 5am from Thursday, December 24, 2020 till January 1, 2021. Except for essential activities, movement of people is prohibited.
Maharashtra is implementing a ‘seven-hour night curfew’ from 11pm to 6am starting from December 22, 2020 until January 5, 2021 to combat rising number of COVID cases in the state and offset any rise in cases due to the Christmas and year-end celebrations. The Hindustan Times reports: “A high-level meeting called by Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday decided to implement the night curfew across cities in the state.” The Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal explained: “In a curfew, more than 5 people cannot assemble outside during the specified hours. So, offices that function overnight or something like dairy transportation can still operate. Taxis, cars and auto-rickshaws will also run just like before.”
India reported 23,950 new COVID-19 cases and 333 deaths in the last 24 hours. India’s total tally reach 10,099,066 cases, including 289,240 active cases, 9,663,382 discharged cases, and 146,444 total deaths.

December 22, 2020

Civil aviation regulator DGCA has asked airlines to suspend all scheduled flights to and from the UK between arrival deadline of 11:59pm on December 22 and 11:59 on December 31, 2020.
India recorded 19,556 new COVID-19 cases and 301 new deaths. Total cases in the country reached 10,075,116, including 292,518 active cases, 9,636,487 discharged cases, and 146,111 total deaths.

December 21, 2020

India recorded 24,337 new COVID-19 infections and 333 new deaths in the last 24 hours. Total cases in the country reached 10,055,560, including 303,639 active cases, 9,606,111 discharged cases and recoveries, and 145,810 total deaths.

December 18, 2020

India’s COVID-19 tally reached 9,979,447 cases with 22,889 new cases confirmed. There are 313,831 active cases in the country and 9,520,827 recoveries. The death toll is at 144,789 with 338 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours, according to data from the health ministry.

December 17, 2020

India’s COVID-19 tally reached 9,956,558 cases with 24,010 new cases confirmed. There are 322,366 active cases in the country and 9,489,740 recoveries. The death toll is at 144,451 with 355 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours, according to data from the health ministry.

December 16, 2020

The COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) system, which is a digitalized platform, will track vaccine beneficiaries in real-time. Persons must be registered on the website to qualify for the vaccination. Each district will likely administer vaccine from one manufacturer. It is expected that each vaccination team will consist of five persons and administer vaccine to 100 beneficiaries per day. According to the guidelines made public, if the vaccination site has sufficient logistics and space available, one more vaccination officer can be added to the team to then administer the vaccine to a total of 200 beneficiaries per session. (For more details, see our update on December 8.)
COVID-19 vaccine roll-out: India has released information on its vaccination program. The COVID-19 vaccine will be first administered to healthcare workers, frontline workers, and persons above the age of 50 to be followed by those younger than 50 years suffering from co-morbidities. The persons receiving the vaccine will be determined on the pandemic situation, population distribution as well as disease epidemiology and vaccine availability.
India’s COVID-19 tally reached 9,932,547 cases with 26,382 new cases confirmed. There are 332,002 active cases in the country and 9,456,449 recoveries. The death toll is at 144,096 with 387 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, according to data from the health ministry.

December 15, 2020

India’s COVID-19 tally reached 9,906,165 cases with 22,065 new cases confirmed. There are 339,820 active cases in the country and 9,422,636 recoveries. The death toll is at 143,709 with 354 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, according to data from the health ministry.

December 14, 2020

India’s COVID-19 tally reached 9,884,100 cases with 27,071 new cases confirmed. There are 352,586 active cases in the country and 9,388,159 recoveries. The death toll is at 143,355 with 336 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, according to data from the health ministry.

December 11, 2020

India’s COVID-19 tally reached 9,796,770 cases with 29,398 new cases confirmed. There are 363,749 active cases in the country and 9,290,834 recoveries. The death toll is at 142,186 with 414 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, according to data from the health ministry.

December 10, 2020

India’s daily count rose by 31,522 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 9,767,372. 412 new deaths were reported.
There are 372,293 active cases, 9,253,306 recoveries, and 141,772 total deaths.

December 9, 2020

The national recovery rate for COVID-19 in India is currently at 94.66 percent, according to health ministry data from Wednesday.
States/UT in India with the highest number of active cases include Maharashtra (74,460), Kerala (59,873), and Delhi (22,310).
India’s daily count rose by 32,080 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 9,735,850. 402 new deaths were reported.
There are 378,909 active cases, 9,215,581 recoveries, and 141,360 total deaths.
The government has released a list of preventative measures for marketplaces during the pandemic, see here.

December 8, 2020

Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine producer by volume, is reportedly close to signing a supply contract with India’s central government and is likely to fix the price at INR 250 (US$3.39) per dose of the COVID vaccine (reported by Livemint on Tuesday citing sources familiar with the matter).
Vaccine roll-out in India: 100 million frontline healthcare workers are expected to get inoculated by early 2021. According to government sources: there will be three separate rooms in each vaccination center. The first room is a waiting room for the beneficiary, the second room is where the vaccination gets administered, and the third room is an observation room where the beneficiary must sit for 30 minutes in case of any immediate adverse reaction. Each vaccination session will be for 100 vaccinations and at a duration of at least 30 minutes each. The Indian Express has reported in detail about the proposed blueprint of the vaccination program and implementation, record, and validation system being put in place.
At present, Phase-3 clinical trials for Covaxin are underway in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Punjab, Assam, and other states. The indigenous vaccine candidate is based on a two-dose schedule and its efficacy is determined 14 days after the second dosage.
Vaccine candidates in India: America pharma giant Pfizer sought emergency use authorization on Saturday, December 5, for its mRNA candidate; Serum Institute of India sought emergency use authorization for Covishield, a version of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine candidate that is being manufactured here under license on December 6; and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech sought similar approval for Covaxin, an indigenous vaccine, on December 7. The final decision will soon be taken by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) based on the efficacy information provided and other considerations.
India reported 26,567 new cases (lowest count since July 10), confirmed tally rises to 9,703,770. There are 383,866 active cases, 9,178,946 discharged cases, and the death toll reached 140,958 after 385 new deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours.

December 7, 2020

India reported 32,981 new cases, taking the total COVID-19 tally to 9,677,203. There are 396,729 active cases, 9,139,901 recoveries, and 140,573 total deaths. 391 new deaths were reported over the last 24 hours as per the morning update today from the health ministry.

December 4, 2020

India reported 36,594 new cases, taking the total COVID-19 tally to 9,571,559. There are 416,082 active cases, 9,016,289 recoveries, and 139,188 total deaths. 540 new deaths were reported over the last 24 hours as per the morning update today from the health ministry.

December 3, 2020

India reported 35,551 new cases, taking the total COVID-19 tally to 9,534,965. There are 422,943 active cases, 8,973,373 recoveries, and 138,648 total deaths. 526 new deaths were reported over the last 24 hours as per the morning update today from the health ministry.

December 2, 2020

India reported 36,604 new cases, taking the total COVID-19 tally to 9,499,414. There are 428,644 active cases, 8,932,647 recoveries, and 138,122 total deaths. 501 new deaths were reported over the last 24 hours as per the morning update today from the health ministry.

December 1, 2020

India reported 31,118 new cases, taking the total COVID-19 tally to 9,462,810. There are 435,603 active cases, 8,889,585 recoveries, and 137,621 total deaths. 482 new deaths were reported over the last 24 hours as per the morning update today from the health ministry.

November 30, 2020

India reported 38,772 new cases, taking the total COVID-19 tally to 9,431,691. There are 446,952 active cases, 8,847,600 discharged cases, and 137,139 total deaths. 443 new deaths were reported over the last 24 hours as per the morning update today from the health ministry.

November 27, 2020

India reported 43,082 new cases, taking the total COVID-19 tally to 9,309,788. There are 455,555 active cases, 8,718,517 discharged cases, and 135,715 total deaths. 492 new deaths were reported over the last 24 hours as per the morning update today from the health ministry.
Reporting from the Times of India: “The daily death toll due to Covid-19 in Delhi remained below 100 for the second consecutive day on Thursday even as new cases registered a marginal increase — from 5,246 on Wednesday to 5,475 on Thursday.”

November 26, 2020

India reported 44,489 new cases, taking the total COVID-19 tally to 9,266,706. There are 452,344 active cases, 8,679,138 discharged cases, and 135,223 total deaths. 524 new deaths were reported over the last 24 hours as per the morning update today from the health ministry.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued guidelines on November 25, 2020 regarding surveillance, containment, and caution that will be effective starting December 1, 2020 till December 31, 2020. This comes as a new wave of coronavirus cases have been reported in parts of the country.
As per government sources, Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal feature among the top six states/UT contributing the maximum number of new cases as well as daily deaths. And, of the 44,489 new cases confirmed of COVID-19, 60.72 percent is contributed to by six states/UT: Kerala, Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.

November 25, 2020

Prime Minister Modi held a virtual meeting with 8 high focus states yesterday: Haryana, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and West Bengal to review their COVID management. Modi has appealed for states to prepare for the roll-out of the vaccine when it comes through. A list of priority groups to be vaccinated first include frontline healthcare workers, elderly people, and people with co-morbidities. The Hindu Business Line reports that India, by the government’s own admission, “is expected to get only 500-550 million doses of the Covid vaccines, sufficient to vaccinate around only one-fifth of the population, till middle of next year.” The Indian Wire discusses the situation with the vaccine and latest contenders, implementation.
Delhi continues to lead the daily tally of cases and fatalities in the country. The capital reported 6,224 new cases and 109 deaths. This is the ninth consecutive day when Delhi’s count of new cases has been the highest in India, and the fourth day running when the capital recorded the highest death toll from the virus, according to reporting from the Times of India.
Travelers from Delhi, Rajasthan, Goa, and Gujarat arriving at Mumbai to undergo mandatory RT-PCR test from today.
India’s COVID-19 case tally rose to 9,222,217 cases after 44,376 new infections were confirmed in 24 hours.
481 new deaths has taken the death toll to 134,699.
There are 444,746 active cases in the country and total discharged cases are at 8,642,771.

November 24, 2020

India’s total COVID tally rose to 9,177,841 with 37,975 fresh infections. There were 480 new deaths as the death toll climbed to 134,218.
There are 438,667 active cases in the country and 8,604,955 discharged cases as reported by the health ministry.

November 23, 2020

The Supreme Court has demanded an explanation from the governments of Gujarat and Delhi for their worsening pandemic situation. All states/UTs are expected to file status reports in two days detailing the steps they have taken and intend to take as part of COVID prevention, as well as the help they need from the central government to combat the situation.
India reported 44,059 new infections and 511 new deaths as per the health ministry’s Monday morning update.
India’s total COVID-19 tally rose to 9,139,866, including 443,486 active cases, 8,562,641 discharged cases, and 133,738 total deaths.

November 20, 2020

India reported 45,882 new infections and 584 new deaths.
India’s total COVID-19 tally rose to 9,004,366, including 443,794 active cases, 8,428,409 discharged cases, and 132,162 total deaths.

November 19, 2020

India reported 45,576 new coronavirus infections and 585 new deaths.
India’s total COVID-19 case tally rose to 8,958,483 including 443,303 active cases, 8,383,602 discharged cases, and 131,578 total deaths.

November 18, 2020

India reported 38,617 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, which pushed the cumulative tally to 8,912,907, according to the Wednesday morning update from the health ministry. 474 new deaths were recorded, taking the toll to 130,993.
Active cases in the country: 446,805 and discharged cases: 8,335,109.

November 17, 2020

The states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Delhi, Kerala, and Maharashtra account for 76.7 percent of total active cases in the country: Union Health Ministry
India reported 29,164 new infections and 449 new deaths as the total COVID-19 case tally rose to 8,874,291.
Active cases: 453,401; discharged cases: 8,290,370; total deaths: 130,519 .

November 16, 2020

India reported 30,548 new coronavirus cases and 435 new deaths in 24 hours, according the health ministry update on Monday morning.
India’s total COVID-19 case tally is 8,845,127 including 465,478 active cases, 8,249,579 discharged cases, and 130,070 total deaths.

November 13, 2020

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday announced a fresh set of relief and stimulus measures for the economy worth INR 1.19 trillion (US$15.93 billion), which will include a scheme to boost re-employment chances of formal sector employees who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
India reported 44,878 new infections and 547 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
India’s total coronavirus cases climbed to 8,728,795, including 484,547 active cases, 8,115,580 discharged cases, and 128,668 total deaths.

November 12, 2020

The government announced that INR 9 billion (US$120.58 million) is being provided for research and development towards the COVID-19 vaccine. The Hindu reports that this funding will be directed to the Department of Biotechnology under the COVID Suraksha mission and that it is exclusive from the actual cost of vaccine and logistics purposes.
The national capital Delhi accounted for 872 COVID fatalities in 15 days, attributed to a sudden surge in cases, deteriorating air quality, laxity by people in adhering to safety norms, among other factors.
Maharashtra and Delhi are leading among 10 states and union territories in India that accounted for 80 percent of the coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours. Delhi (8,593 cases) is followed by Kerala (7,007) and Maharashtra (4,907) in terms of coronavirus case tally. Ten states and union territories reported 78 percent of the new cases.
India reported 47,905 new cases and 550 new deaths.
India’s total coronavirus cases climbed to 8,683,917, including 489,294 active cases, 8,066,501 discharged cases, and 128,121 total deaths.

November 11, 2020

India approved the extension of its Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for 10 flagship sectors on Wednesday, with an outlay worth INR 1.46 trillion (US$19.54 billion).
India reported 44,281 new cases and 512 new deaths.
India’s total coronavirus cases climbed to 8,636,012, including 494,657 active cases, 8,013,783 discharged cases, and 127,571 total deaths.

November 10, 2020

India reported 38,074 new cases and 448 deaths.
India’s COVID-19 tally rose to 8,591,731, including 501,214 active cases, 7,963,457 discharged cases, and 127,059 total deaths.

November 9, 2020

Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) crossed the 400-mark and docked at 456 on Sunday, and will remain in the “severe” to “very poor” categories on Monday. According to the Indian Medical Association), 13 percent of the spike in COVID cases might be due to increased air pollution: “as levels of pollution are high, children and senior citizens, who are already susceptible to infections might get affected and face breathing issues.”
Delhi has overtaken Maharashtra and Kerala as the highest contributor to new COVID-19 cases, having reported 7,745 novel coronavirus infections in a span of 24 hours.
India reported 45,093 new cases of COVID-19 and 490 deaths.
The total case tally has reached 8,553,657, including 509,673 active cases, 7,917,373 discharged cases, and 126,611 total deaths.

November 6, 2020

India reported 47,638 new cases of COVID-19 and 670 new deaths.
The COVID-19 case tally has reached 8,411,724, including 520,773 active cases, 7,765,966 discharged cases, and 124,985 total deaths.

November 5, 2020

India reported 50,210 new cases of COVID-19 and 704 new deaths.
The COVID tally is at 8,364,086, including 527,962 active cases, 7,711,809 discharged cases, and 124,315 total deaths.

November 4, 2020

India reported 46,254 new cases of COVID-19 and 514 new deaths.
The COVID tally climbed to 8,313,877, including 533,787 active cases, 7,656,478 recovered cases, and 123,611 deaths.

November 3, 2020

India’s national COVID-19 recovery rate has escalated to 91.96 percent.
80 percent of the new recovered cases are concentrated in 10 States/UTs: Maharashtra (10,225), Karnataka (8,334), Kerala (7,108), Delhi (4,824), West Bengal (4,085), Tamil Nadu (3,940), Andhra Pradesh (3,033), Uttar Pradesh (2,040), Chhattisgarh (1,854), and Odisha (1,527).
74 percent of the new confirmed cases are from 10 Indian States and union territories, according to the health ministry: Kerala (4,138), Delhi (4,009), Maharashtra (4,001), West Bengal (3,957), Karnataka (2,576), Andhra Pradesh (2,481), Tamil Nadu (1,916), Uttar Pradesh (1,777), Rajasthan (1,748), and Odisha (1,700).
India’s total cases rose to 8,267,623 with 38,310 fresh COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, as per this morning’s update from the health ministry. There were 490 new deaths recorded.
There are 541,405 active cases. So far, there have been 7,603,121 discharged cases and 123,097 total deaths.

November 2, 2020

India reported 45,230 new coronavirus cases and 496 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the health ministry on Monday morning.
India’s case tally grew to 8,229,313, including 561,908 active cases, 7,544,798 discharged cases, and 122,607 total deaths.

October 30, 2020

India recorded 48,648 new coronavirus cases and 563 new deaths in the last 24 hours, according to this morning’s update released by the health ministry.
The total COVID-19 tally for India is 8,088,851 cases, including 594,386 active cases, 7,373,375 recoveries/discharged cases, and 121,090 total deaths.

October 29, 2020

India reported 49,881 new coronavirus cases and 517 new deaths in the last 24 hours as per the morning update from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. India’s total caseload has crossed the 8 million-mark, to reach 8,040,203, including 603,687 active cases, 7,315,989 discharged cases, and 120,527 total deaths.

October 28, 2020

India released its updated FDI policy on Wednesday, which the government has said came into effect October 15, 2020. The Consolidated FDI Policy circular of 2020 incorporates restrictions notified earlier in the year on foreign direct investment from overseas entities or citizens belonging to neighboring countries sharing land border with India, including China – to prevent opportunistic takeovers of firms affected by the COVID-19 lockdowns and general conditions of the pandemic. Such investments were to be made only through the government route – this will continue to be the case.
Additionally, a 26 percent cap on FDI is introduced in the segment that covers digital news (uploading or streaming of news and current affairs through digital platforms). The previous Consolidated FDI Policy was released in 2017 and was effective from August 28, 2017. The latest FDI policy also makes it mandatory for e-commerce entities with foreign investment to obtain and maintain a statutory audit report by September 30 every year for the preceding financial year, which indicates their compliance with India’s laws.
43,893 fresh cases and 508 new fatalities were reported over 24 hours as of this morning’s update by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. India’s COVID tally mounted to 7,990,322, including 610,803 active cases, 7,259,509 discharged cases, and 120,010 deaths.
All schools in Delhi will continue to be closed till further orders in view of the COVID-19 situation.

October 27, 2020

India reported 36,470 new coronavirus cases and 488 fatalities. The total caseload has reached 7,946,429, including 625,857 active cases, 7,201,070 discharged cases, and 119,502 total deaths.

October 26, 2020

India reported 45,149 new coronavirus cases and 480 new deaths in its Monday morning update from the union health ministry.
India’s total tally has reached 7,909,960 cases, including 653,717 active cases, 7,137,228 recoveries, and 119,014 fatalities.
India’s case fatality rate was the lowest since March 22 at 1.5 percent.

October 24, 2020

India reported 53,370 new cases and 650 deaths in the last 24 hours in its Saturday official update (08:00 IST) from the health ministry.
The country’s total COVID tally has reached 7,814,682, including 680,680 active cases, 7,016,046 recoveries, and 117,956 fatalities.

October 23, 2020

India reported 54,366 new coronavirus cases and 690 new deaths, as the total COVID caseload mounted to 7,761,312.
As of this morning’s update there were 695,509 active cases, 6,948,497 recoveries, and 117,306 deaths reported.

October 22, 2020

India reported 55,838 new COVID-19 infections and 702 new deaths in the last 24 hours as of this morning’s update by the health ministry.
India’s total COVID tally is at 7,706,946, including 715,812 active cases, 6,874,518 recoveries, and 116,616 deaths.

October 21, 2020

54,044 new coronavirus infections and 717 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, according to the Wednesday update from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
India’s total COVID-19 case tally has reached 7,651,108, including 740,090 active cases, 6,795,103 recoveries, and 115,914 deaths. India’s COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 88.8 percent.

October 14, 2020

The southern state of Kerala is currently facing a rebound of the virus after its festival season in late August. The state reported the highest new caseload on Tuesday, with 8,764 new infections confirmed. Most of Kerala’s districts are recording higher daily cases per million population than the so far worst affected – the capital, Delhi, and Mumbai and Pune (Maharashtra). Kerala reportedly has a fatality rate of 0.35 percent – four times lower than the national average of 1.45 percent.
India’s total case tally stands at 7,239,390, including 826,876 active cases, 6,301,927 recoveries, and 110,586 deaths.
India reported 63,509 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases and 730 deaths in last 24 hours.

October 13, 2020

NDTV reports that “though Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu continued to dominate the list of states with maximum daily cases, their daily caseload has reduced significantly with the exception of West Bengal (3,583). The eastern state has been reporting its highest ever 24-hour percentage rise in cases for the past fortnight. Together these states account for 52.5 per cent of all cases in the country.”
The country’s total COVID-19 tally has reached 7,175,881, including 838,729 active cases, 6,227,295 recoveries, and 109,856 deaths.
55,342 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in India over the last 24 hours, according to the health ministry.

October 12, 2020

The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) reported that 994,851 samples were tested for COVID-19 yesterday. So far, a total of 87,872,093 samples have been tested in the country up to October 11.
As per today’s official update (08:00 IST) from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: a spike of 66,732 new cases and 816 deaths were reported in India in the last 24 hours.
India’s total COVID-19 case tally stands at 7,120,539 with 861,853 active cases, 6,149,535 recoveries, and 109,150 deaths.

October 9, 2020

India recorded 70,496 new cases and 964 deaths in 24 hours as per this morning’s official update from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
India’s total COVID-19 case tally stands at 6,906,152, including 893,592 active cases, 5,906,069 recoveries, and 106,490 deaths.

October 8, 2020

Delhi restaurants to open 24×7: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has reportedly put plans in motion to permit restaurants to operate round-the-clock and abolish the need for multiple licenses, such as tourism, health trade licenses, which are issued by local bodies. The decisions on deregulating the restaurant industry in Delhi were taken on Wednesday at a meeting chaired by Kejriwal and attended by the city’s restaurant owners.
Businesses should track how this regulatory reform develops, which will cut down on unnecessary licenses and will impact license fee payments. The development is a much needed boost for the sector, among the most badly hit by the pandemic.
Total confirmed COVID-19 cases in India rose to 6,835,655, with 78,524 new cases and 971 deaths as per this morning’s health ministry update. The death toll reached 105,526.
There are 902,425 active cases in the country.

October 7, 2020

Cinemas to reopen from October 15 in India, operating at 50 percent capacity.
72,049 newly confirmed cases and 986 deaths registered over 24 hours.
Total COVID-19 tally has reached 6,757,131, including 907,883 active cases, 5,744,693 recoveries, and 104,555 deaths.

October 6, 2020

The government has released guidelines for reopening cinemas: seating allowed at only 50 percent capacity, alternate seats to be left vacant for social distancing, masks are mandatory.
Single-day spike of 61,267 newly confirmed COVID-19 infections and 884 new deaths pushes India’s total case tally to 6,685,082 and the death toll to 103,569.

October 5, 2020

The Delhi government announced that schools in Delhi will remain closed till October 31.
The Ministry of Education has released guidelines for reopening schools in the country from October 15 in a gradual manner; The respective state and union territory governments will prepare their own standard operating procedures for health, hygiene, and safety and learning with physical/social distancing.
74,442 new cases and 903 deaths were reported in last 24 hours as per this morning’s update from the health ministry. India’s total case tally stands at 6,623,816, including 934,427 active cases, 5,586,703 discharged cases, and 102,685 deaths.

October 1, 2020

TVs to cost more as panel duty relaxation ends and some components will attract five percent import duty from October 1, 2020. This is also part of India’s domestic sourcing and production drive under the Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative.
Foreign remittances will become more expensive from October 1, with five percent tax levied on foreign funds transferred that is above INR 700,000. Tax on foreign tour packages will be five percent for any amount.
The new tax collected at source (TCS) regime kicks in from today, whereby e-commerce operators will have to deduct one percent tax on sale of goods and services.
Starting October 1, the list of illnesses excluded in health insurance policies will decrease. Hitherto uncovered conditions like mental health and genetic diseases, as well as COVID-19, will be covered but the prices of premiums will likely rise by two to five percent. This is part of the sector’s efforts to standardize health insurance rules and respond to the type of illnesses and conditions afflicting increasing populations.
New rules facilitating the digital transition of the daily life of Indians came into effect today. These include the ability to generate digital copies of driving license, residence certificate, permits, PUC, and insurance documents of one’s personal vehicle via the MParivahan or digilocker smartphone app.
86,821 new infections were confirmed in a day and the death toll climbed to 98,678 as per health ministry updates on Thursday.
Total coronavirus cases in India reached 6,312,584, including 940,705 active cases.
India’s recovery rate stands at 83.53 percent with 5,273,201 cases discharged so far.

September 30, 2020

80,472 new infections were recorded, as per the health ministry’s official update this morning, and 1,179 deaths.
Total case tally stands at 6,225,764, including 940,441 active cases, 5,187,826 cured/discharged/migrated, and 97,497 deaths.

September 29, 2020

The state of Maharashtra will allow its 400,000 restaurants ad bars to resume operations from the first week of October, ahead of the Navratri festival that starts October 17.
The southern state of Kerala now places fourth in terms of active COVID-19 cases in the country — after Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. Kerala’s test positivity rate (TPR) is high at 13.6 percent while the growth rate of new cases is 3.5 percent per day, which is more than double than that of the country. The 126 percent rise in active cases comes after the local festival of Onam, during which period it is likely that there was increased social contact and public gatherings.
A total of 73,110,041 samples have been tested up to September 28 for COVID-19. Of these, 1,142,811 samples were tested yesterday: ICMR
There were 70,589 newly confirmed cases and 776 deaths reported in the last 24 hours; this was the smallest daily rise in coronavirus deaths since August 3.
India’s case tally is at 6,145,292, including 947,576 active cases, 5,101,397 cured/discharged cases, and 96,318 deaths.

September 25, 2020

75 percent of the newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reported during a period of 24 hours in India are concentrated in 10 states and union territories, said the country’s health ministry on Thursday. The 10 states and UTs are: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Delhi, Kerala, West Bengal. and Chhattisgarh.
Maharashtra continues to top this list, contributing to more than 21,000 cases, followed by Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka with more than 7,000 and 6,000 COVID-19 cases, respectively.
86,052 new cases and 1,141 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.
India’s total case tally is at 5,818,571 including 970,116 active cases, 4,756,164 cured/discharged cases, and 92,290 deaths: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

September 24, 2020

86,508 newly confirmed cases were reported yesterday and 1,129 deaths. India’s total tally has crossed 5.7 million, including 966,382 active cases, 4,674,987 cured/discharged cases, and 91,149 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

September 23, 2020

Parliament today gave its approval to The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020, which seeks to replace an ordinance and make few other changes in direct and indirect tax laws. The relief outlined in the bill include extending deadlines for filing returns and for linking PAN and Aadhaar. The Bill amends the provisions of the Income Tax Act to provide the same tax treatment to PM-CARES Fund as available to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
83,347 new cases and 1,085 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. India’s total COVID tally is 5,646,011, including 968,377 active cases, 4,587,613 discharged cases. The death toll is at 90,020.

September 22, 2020

75,083 newly confirmed cases and 1,053 deaths were reported in this morning’s health ministry update. That brings India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases to 5,562,664: 975,861 active cases, 4,497,867 discharged cases, and 88,935 deaths.

September 21, 2020

With a spike of 86,961 new cases and 1,130 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, India’s total COVID-19 case tally stands at 5,487,580. The death toll has reached 87,882. Active cases as of this morning’s official update from the health ministry are 1,003,299 and recoveries are 4,396,399.

September 18, 2020

India’s COVID-19 tally surged to 5,214,677 after 96,424 new cases and 1,174 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.
As per the health ministry’s Friday morning update, India currently has 1,017,754 active cases, 4,112,551 cured/discharged cases. The death toll is at 84,372.

September 17, 2020

India reported a world record daily high of 97,894 new cases and 1,132 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Thursday’s update from the health ministry.
Total COVID-19 cases in the country are at 5,118,254, including 1,009,976 active cases, 4,025,079 discharged cases, and 83,198 deaths.

September 16, 2020

As per the data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Maharashtra is the most affected state by the pandemic with 292,174 active COVID-19 cases. Karnataka has 98,555 active cases, Andhra Pradesh (92,353), Uttar Pradesh (67,335), and Delhi (29,787).
Total confirmed cases are 5,020,360, which includes 995,933 active cases and 3,942,361 recovered/discharged cases. With 1,290 additional deaths, the death toll is at 82,066.
India’s total tally crossed 5 million after 90,123 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours.

September 15, 2020

India reported 83,809 new cases and 1,054 deaths in the last 24 hours. This brings the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 4,930,236, including 990,061 active cases 3,859,399 discharged cases, and 80,776 deaths.

September 14, 2020

India is now just behind the United States in terms of total infections but is showing a faster growth in infections than anywhere else in the world. India has been adding more daily cases than the US since mid-August.
There are currently 986,598 active cases in India.
India added 92,071 new coronavirus cases and 1,136 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Monday’s official update from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The country’s total tally is nearing 5 million with 4,846,427 confirmed COVID-19 cases. The death toll stands at 79,722.
Delhi recorded 4,235 coronavirus cases on Sunday, taking the city’s total tally to 218,304, including 28,812 active cases. There are 1,488 containment zones in Delhi.
On Saturday, September 12, India had reported 97,570 new infections of coronavirus recorded over 24 hours, beating its daily record for a second consecutive day. The capital, Delhi, had also recorded its biggest single-day jump with 4,321 fresh cases.

September 11, 2020

India recorded the highest single-day spike with 96,551 newly confirmed cases yesterday and reported 1,209 deaths.
As per the health ministry, India’s COVID-19 tally stands at 4,562,415, including 943,480 active cases, 3,542,663 discharged cases, and 76,271 deaths.

September 10, 2020

India registered 95,735 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1,172 deaths yesterday.
The country’s total COVID-19 tally stands at 4,465,864, including 919,018 active cases, 3,471,783 cured/discharged cases, and 75,062 deaths.
The total number of samples tested for COVID-19 in India up to September 9 is 52,934,433 – including 1,129,756 samples tested on September 8 alone: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

September 9, 2020

India’s total case tally stands at 4,370,129, including 897,394 active cases, 3,398,845 discharged cases, and 73,890 deaths.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 89,706 new cases and 1,115 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.

September 7, 2020

Metro services resumed across the country today.
India’s COVID-19 tally is now at 4,204,613 confirmed cases, including 882,542 active cases, 3,250,429 cured/discharged cases, and 71,642 deaths.
90,802 newly confirmed cases and 1,016 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.
India has overtaken Brazil as the country with the second highest total number of confirmed coronavirus cases.

September 4, 2020

India’s COVID-19 tally rose to 3,936,747 confirmed cases with 69,921 new cases and 819 fatalities.
India has 8,311,24 active cases, 3,037,151 recovered cases, and 68,472 deaths.

September 3, 2020

India registered another record single-day jump with 83,883 new coronavirus cases; 1,043 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours.
India now has recorded a total of 3,853,406 confirmed cases, including 815,538 active cases, 2,970,492 discharged/cured cases, and 67,376 deaths.

September 2, 2020

India registered 78,357 new COVID-19 cases and reported 1,045 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, UP, and Tamil Nadu account for 56 percent of the new cases.
Total coronavirus cases in India have reached 3,769,523, including 801,282 active cases, 2,901,908 cured/ discharged cases, and 66,333 deaths.

September 1, 2020

Today is the start of Unlock 4, which will reopen more of the Indian economy. Yesterday’s release of GDP figures for Q1/the April-June quarter, showed a contraction of 23.9 percent due to the collapse in consumer spending, private investment, manufacturing activity, and exports under lockdown imposed as a result of the pandemic. Restarting the economy will require a delicate balance to be maintained between necessary restrictions to ensure public health and safety while also rolling back restrictions, such as on transport and those affecting the services industries. This will be implemented differently across the states and regions within each state as the spread of the virus is not homogeneous and has/will peak at different times.
69,921 new cases of coronavirus and 819 new deaths were reported in this morning’s government update. India’s COVID-19 case tally reached 3,691,167, which includes 785,996 active cases, 2,839,883 cured/discharged cases, and 65,288 fatalities. The recovery rate is at 76.94 percent.

August 31, 2020

During Unlock 4, there will be no restriction on the inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods and no separate permissions/e-permits will be required for such movement. Metro rail services will resume September 7; the lockdown will continue till September 30 in containment zones.
Unlock 4.0: The next phase of the gradual reopening of India’s economy will begin tomorrow, called Unlock 4.0.
India recorded 78,512 new coronavirus cases yesterday, taking the total confirmed case count to 3,621,245, according to the Monday update from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). On Sunday, India reported 78,761 new cases. 971 fatalities were recorded in the last 24 hours as per the MoHFW.
Active cases in the country has reached 781,975; 2774801 cases have been discharged/cured; the death toll is at 64,469. The recovery rate has risen to 76.62 percent and the fatality rate declined to 1.78 percent.

August 28, 2020

India recorded another single-day highest rise with 77,266 new cases getting added Thursday and recorded 1,057 new deaths, as per this morning’s update from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The total COVID-19 case tally in the country is now at 3,387,500.
Active cases are at 742,023; discharged/cured cases – 2,583,948; total fatalities – 61,529

August 27, 2020

Resurgence in cases noted in Delhi, Kerala, Telangana.
India’s total cases reach 3,310,234 after registering 75,760 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, led by the highest single-day rise in cases in the states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
Total case fatalities reached 60,472 after 1,023 new deaths.
There are 725,991 active cases of COVID-19 as of today’s morning update by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
Maharashtra is the most affected state with 173,195 active COVID-19 cases and 23,089 case fatalities.
The top five worst affected states in India by total number (recoveries, deaths, and active cases) of coronavirus cases recorded as per MoHFW reporting are:
1. Maharashtra – 718,711
2. Tamil Nadu – 397,261
3. Andhra Pradesh – 382,469
4. Karnataka – 300,406
5. Uttar Pradesh – 203,028

August 26, 2020

Unlock 4.0, the next phase of reopening India’s economy will begin September 1. Details are awaited on how rules will be implemented; the resumption of metro services, which were closed March 22, is being considered.
India recorded 67,151 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, taking the total tally to 3,234,474. There were 1,059 new fatalities bringing the death toll to 59,449. Active cases in the country are at 707,267.

August 25, 2020

The Indian government is now allowing the free export of 2/3 ply surgical masks and medical coveralls of all classes. Free export of face shields is also allowed. Medical goggles continue to remain in the ‘restricted’ category with the monthly quota fixed at 2 million units. The export of nitrile/NBR gloves continues to be prohibited.
India is also allowing the restricted export of N-95/FFP2 masks – the monthly export quota is fixed at 5 million units. The eligibility criteria of applicants for the issuance of an export license to export N-95/FFP2 masks will issued in a separate trade notification by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). India’s personal protective equipment (PPE) industry has grown almost overnight since the pandemic broke out in the country; the easing of trade restrictions will boost local production capacity and revenue scope.
60,975 new infections were registered yesterday, raising India’s total COVID-19 case tally to 3,167,323, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported this morning. Fatalities rose to 58,390 after 848 new deaths were recorded.
At the same time, the total number of recoveries in India have reached 2,404,585, showing a close to 76 percent recovery rate, as of this morning. There are 704,348 active cases in the country.
The capital, Delhi, reported 1,544 new COVID-19 cases yesterday; 1,155 cases were discharged/cured and 17 deaths were registered. Delhi’s total number of cases is now at 164,071, including 147,743 recovered cases, 11,998 active cases, and 4,330 deaths.

August 24, 2020

India registered 61,408 new cases in the last 24 hours, according to this morning’s update from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases have now reached 3,106,349 – the last million new cases were recorded in 16 days. 836 deaths were recorded on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 57,542.
Currently, there are 710,771 active cases in the country; 2,338,035 cases have been discharged/cured.
Case fatality rate for coronavirus patients is now at 1.85 percent in India; the recovery rate has risen to 75.27 percent.
India is focused on improving its recovery rate and increasing testing capacity. According to the ICMR, a total of 35,902,137 samples have been tested for COVID-19 – till August 23; 609,917 samples were tested on Sunday.

August 21, 2020

India’s total COVID-19 case tally is at 2,905,823 after 68,898 fresh cases were reported yesterday, according to the latest data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
India registered 983 deaths on Thursday, taking the death toll to 54,849.
According to the State Health Department of Haryana, the total number of COVID cases in Haryana have risen to more than 50,000 with 996 new cases and 11 deaths. However, the number of active cases are 7,555. Faridabad and Gurugram (formerly Gurgaon), which are industrial and IT hubs adjacent to the capital Delhi and part of the National Capital Region, are among some of the most affected districts. Faridabad has 685 actve cases and Gurugram has 755 active cases. The data released by the Haryana state, and reported in the Indian Express, may be accessed here.

August 20, 2020

India recorded its highest daily infection case load with 69,672 new COVID-19 cases. This is the fourth-highest daily case load reported globally; the US exceeded this number three times in the second half of July.
Total cases in the country are at 2.84 million; the death toll is at 53,886.

August 19, 2020

64,531 tested positive yesterday as per the health ministry’s update this morning, bringing India’s total COVID-19 tally to 2,767,273.
The recovery rate is at 73.64 percent with 2,037,870 recoveries so far. Active cases in the country are at 676,514.
The death toll is now 52,889 after 1,092 new COVID-19 fatalities.

August 18, 2020

India’s total COVID-19 tally rose 2,702,742, including 673,166 active cases, 1,977,779 discharged/cured cases, and 51,797 deaths. Yesterday, India recorded 55,079 new cases and registered 876 deaths.
As per the government, “India conducted 899,864 tests conducted in a single day, the highest tests/day so far. With this, the cumulative tests have reached 30,941,264.”

August 17, 2020

India reported a single-day spike of 57,981 COVID-19 cases and 941 deaths yesterday. The total case tally is now 2,647,663 and the death toll has reached 50,921.
Active cases in the country are at 676,900.

August 14, 2020

64,553 people tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, bringing India’s total confirmed cases to 2,461,190. India ranks third in the world for most confirmed cases after US, Brazil.
1,007 deaths were recorded yesterday, raising the death toll to 48,040.
There are 661,595 active cases in the country.

August 13, 2020

India reported another highest single-day spike in new coronavirus cases at 66,999 today. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 2,396,637.
942 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours; total COVID-19 fatalities in the country are now at 47,033. India has now overtaken Britain as the country with the fourth-highest COVID-19 deaths. However, India’s COVID-19 case fatality rate of 2 is admittedly much lower and about 34 deaths per million; that number is in the hundreds in many other countries with smaller populations.
The number of active COVID-19 cases in India is now 653,622 as per the health ministry’s daily morning update.
The Indian pharmaceutical company, Zydus Cadila, will sell the cheapest generic version of the antiviral drug remdesivir (by Gilead Sciences) in India, pricing it at INR 2,800 (US$37.44) per 100mg vial.

August 12, 2020

India’s COVID-19 tally has reached 2,329,639 with 60,963 new confirmed cases reported yesterday. The total number of deaths rose to 46,091 after 834 new deaths were recorded over 24 hours.
Recoveries in the country rose to 1,583,490, according to the health ministry. India recorded its highest single day recovery on Tuesday with 56,110 COVID-19 patients cured/discharged.
There are 643,948 active COVID-19 cases in India as of Wednesday’s morning update by the Union health ministry.
A total of 26,015,297 samples have been tested so far in India, as per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

August 11, 2020

India’s tally of confirmed cases reached 2,268,675, including 639,929 active cases, 1,583,489 discharged/cured cases, and 45,257 deaths. 53,601 new infections were reported yesterday and 871 new fatalities. The recovery rate is at 69.80%.
Prime Minister Modi held a video conference meeting with the chief ministers from 10 Indian states to discuss their COVID-19 situation: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.

August 10, 2020

India reported 62,064 new coronavirus cases and 44,386 deaths yesterday, bringing the total confirmed COVID-19 tally to 2,215,075.
Active cases in the country are at 634,945.
India has recorded a recovery rate of 70% as of date; highest ever single-day recoveries of 54,859 were reported in the last 24 hours.

August 7, 2020

Total confirmed COVID-19 cases in India reached 2,027,074 after a record 62,538 new cases were reported yesterday. Active cases in the country are 607,384 and those recovered are 1,378,105. Total death toll is at 41,585 with 886 deaths recorded on Thursday.
The Serum Institute of India (SII) has entered into a new landmark partnership with Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate the manufacture and delivery of up to 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for India and other low- and middle-income countries by 2021.
India’s most affected states by way of total confirmed cases are: Maharashtra (479,779), Tamil Nadu (279,144), Andhra Pradesh (196,789), Karnataka (158,254), and the capital Delhi (141,531).
Businesses and defaulters whose compliance reporting schedules have been disrupted due to the COVID-19 outbreak still have time to file their documents till September 30, 2020. Read more here: India’s Schemes to Ease Compliance Burden on Companies due to COVID-19.
Find out the extended tax deadlines for 2020: India Extends Key Tax Deadlines Again for Businesses in 2020 due to COVID-19.

August 6, 2020

India reported 56,282 new cases yesterday, pushing the total COVID-19 count to 1,964,536.
There are 595,501 active cases and 1,328,336 cases have been cured/discharged.
Total death toll has reached 40,699 after 904 deaths reported yesterday.

August 5, 2020

India reported 52,509 new confirmed cases yesterday and 857 deaths, taking the total COVID-19 case tally to 1,908,254 and the death toll to 39,795.
India’s active COVID-19 caseload stands at 586,244 while 1,282,215 people have recovered.
As per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 50% of India’s COVID-19 related fatalities took place in the age group of 60 years and above.
Gyms and yoga institutes, hotels and weekly markets will remain shut in Delhi. The curfew hours (10 pm – 5 am) restriction has been removed as per Unlock 3.0 guidelines issued on July 31.

August 4, 2020

52,050 people tested positive for the coronavirus in the last 24 hours in India as per the health ministry’s official update Tuesday morning. This takes India’s COVID-19 total tally to 1,855,745 confirmed cases. Active cases in the country as on August 4, 08:00 IST was 586,298; cases discharged/cured have reached 1,230,509. India’s death toll due to COVID-19 reached 38,938 after 803 new fatalities were recorded yesterday.
India has released guidelines for international travel, to be effective starting August 8, 2020. See here for the official notice.

August 1-3, 2020

India reported 52,972 newly confirmed cases in the last 24 hours in its Monday morning update by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The total tally is now at 1,803,696 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Total deaths are at 38,135.
Over on the weekend, India reported 57,118 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday morning and nearly 55,000 new cases on Sunday.
News emerged over the weekend of top Indian central and state government ministers like the home minister Amit Shah and Karnataka state chief minister BS Yediyurappa testing positive for the coronavirus. On Monday, Karti Chidambaram, member of parliament from Tamil Nadu and son of former Union Minister P Chidambaram, tweeted today that he had tested positive for the coronavirus (see here for a report from the news platform NDTV).
“The total number of Covid-19 samples tested up to August 02 is 20,202,858 – including 3,81,027 samples tested yesterday,” as per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on its Twitter bulletin board.

July 31, 2020

55,079 people tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, taking India’s total tally of confirmed cases to 1,638,871.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported that India had 545,318 active cases, 1,057,805 cured/discharged cases, and 35,747 deaths as of 08:00 IST today.

July 30, 2020

India recorded another spike in new cases yesterday, with 52,123 COVID-19 cases confirmed. This takes the total COVID-19 tally to 1,583,792 confirmed cases. The death toll is now at 34,968 with 775 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours. Active cases in the country are at 528,242 with 1,020,582 cured/discharged cases.
The next phase of rolling back the nationwide lockdown will begin August 1. Called Unlock 3, the new phase will see the night curfew get lifted from August 1 and gyms and yoga centers reopening from August 5. Schools and colleges, metro services, cinemas and swimming pools will stay shut.
The last date to file your income tax returns for FY2018-19 has been extended once again from July 31, 2020 to September 30, 2020. Previously, the last date to file tax returns for FY2019-20 was extended to November 30, 2020. Also, the deadline for linking the biometric Aadhaar with PAN was extended to March 31, 2021.
The state of Maharashtra, which has been the most affected by the coronavirus to date, will reopen malls and market complexes starting August 5.
Delhi’s recovery rate hit 88.9% this week.
Our early coronavirus tracker can be found here.

Managing your India business under COVID-19

For assistance with foreign-invested business establishment, legal, and tax and operational issues in India please contact Dezan Shira & Associates India offices at india@dezshira.com.

We are also tracking the pandemic in other major regions as well as provide business advisory for China and ASEAN.