COVID-19 August 13 Highlights: Mumbai reports 1,200 fresh cases; over 400 die in Maharashtra in last 24 hours

Mumbai: Maharashtra recorded 11,813 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, taking the state’s COVID-19 tally to 5,60,126. Also, 413 people succumbed to the infection, taking the death toll due to COVID-19 in the state to 19,063 and the fatality rate to 3.4 per cent, as per the latest information shared by the state health department.

Here are some of the other COVID-19 and lockdown highlights of August 13 from Mumbai, Maharashtra and rest of the country:
Mumbai reports 1,200 fresh cases

Mumbai on Thursday reported 1,200 new cases of coronavirus and with that, the case count of the Maximum City climbed to 1,27,571. Also, 48 patients succumbed to the virus taking the death toll to 6,988. On the contrary, as many as 1,00,954 patients have recovered till date and the number of active cases in the city is now pitched at 19,332.

Dharavi reports only 6 new coronavirus positive cases today

Only six more persons tested positive for coronavirus in the slum-clusters of Dharavi in the city, taking the figures to 2,649 on Thursday (August 13). A senior Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said that there are only 90 active cases in Dharavi while a total of 2,300 patients were discharged after recovery.

Mahim sees more COVID-19 cases than Dadar

Meanwhile, Mahim registered more COVID-19 positive cases today than Dadar. A total of 17 cases were reported from the Mahim area, taking the total number of positive cases in the area to 1,950. A total of 1,580 have been discharged so far from Mahim. There are 293 active cases in Mahim so far. The nearby Dadar reported 13 new cases, taking the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the area to 2,126. So far, there are 469 active cases and 1,572 patients have been discharged.

India registers highest-ever recoveries of 56,383 in a single day

India recorded the highest-ever recoveries of 56,383 in a single day. With this, the number of total recovered COVID-19 patients has touched nearly 17 lakhs (16,95,982) on Thursday, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. In a press statement, the Ministry said, "The concerted, focussed and collaborative efforts of the Centre and the State/UT governments along with the support of lakhs of frontline workers have ensured the successful implementation of TESTING aggressively, TRACKING comprehensively & TREATING efficiently through an array of measures including supervised home isolation, and effective clinical management of severe and critical patients through the Standard of Care advised by the Centre."

Mira Bhayandar issues guidelines for Ganeshotsav 2020

One of the most-awaited festivals Ganesh Chaturthi is around the corner, however, this year it will be low-key and celebrated without much fanfare in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has released a detailed set of guidelines, to be followed as precautionary measures amid the celebrations. It includes reducing the size of Ganesh idols as well as a few things to keep in mind for idol immersion. Read the guidelines here

Three more cops succumb, the death toll in Maharashtra Police force rises to 124

Three more Maharashtra police personnel succumbed to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 124. 381 new COVID-19 cases have also been reported in the Maharashtra Police force in the last 24 hours. "381 more Maharashtra police personnel tested positive for COVID-19 while three died in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 124. The total number of police personnel infected in the state stands at 11,773, out of which 9,416 have recovered and 2,233 are active cases," a statement from Maharashtra Police said.

Record 8.3 lakh tests done, total figure 2.68 crore: Health ministry

A record high of over 8 lakh tests have been done for detection of COVID-19 in a span of 24 hours, taking the cumulative testing figure in India to 2,68,45,688 crore, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday. The Tests Per Million saw a sharp increase to stand at 19453. A record 8,30,391 samples were tested on Wednesday in the country. "In pursuance of the 'test, track and treat' strategy, India is geared up to reach the testing capacity of 10 lakh tests per day," the ministry said.

Can't allow Jain temples to open amid pandemic: Maharashtra to HC
The Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court on Thursday that it could not permit Jain temples in the city to open for devotees to mark the festival of Paryushan in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The state said that opening the temples from August 15 to 23 this year, as requested by the Jain community, would lead to an "imminent danger" of the spread of the virus. The state's counsel Purnima Kantahria submitted a written reply before a bench of Justices S J Kathawalla and Madhav Jamdar, saying that the state had decided against opening the temples as it could lead to further spread of coronavirus, which might result in loss of lives. The bench was hearing two petitions filed by members representing the Jain community from the city. The petitioners had sought permission to enter their temples during the eight-day Paryushan festival.

Five hilarious posts to brighten up your day

Social media has not only allowed people to remain virtually connected, but it is also where people can share a few laughs. From memes to music covers, the internet has been as entertaining as ever. Apart from hosting important information, it has also enabled individuals to lend a helping hand. Here are five posts curated by us from the internet to brighten up your day.