Coronavirus live updates: 204 railway coaches deployed in 4 states to boost Covid-19 capacity

In view of the challenges being faced, particularly by the large cities, it was discussed to augment testing as well as the number of beds and services to effectively handle the peak surge of daily cases.

The meeting reviewed the national level status and preparation in the context of the pandemic. The meeting also took stock of situation in different states and union territories including Delhi.

The West Bengal government will set up 200 'safe homes' to provide temporary shelter to the large number of migrant workers returning to the state to keep a check on the spread of coronavirus, a senior official said on Saturday. The migrant labourers will be provided shelter in the safe homes irrespective of them being asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic if they do not have enough space in their homes to follow the isolation norms, he said. The state health department on being instructed has till Saturday identified 341 blocks to build the homes, he added. Each safe home will have one doctor, a few nurses and healthworkers who will check on the health of its inmates twice a day, the official said. Till Friday there were 5,587 active Covid-19 patients in the state, majority of them migrant workers who have returned from other states, an official of the state health department said.

Muzaffarnagar district will be under complete shutdown every Sunday beginning June 14 similar to the Janata Curfew imposed earlier due to a spike in the number of coronavirus cases, officials said on Saturday. According to District Magistrate Selvakumari J, it has been decided to impose Janata Curfew with all business establishments including shops, hotels, and malls to be closed every Sunday. All activities in the district will be suspended except for essential services, she added. The DM has warned that strict action will be taken against those found violating the curfew. Legal action under provisions of the Disaster Management Act will be taken, she warned. Meanwhile, three more Covid-19 cases were reported in Muzaffarnagar with the number of active patients going up to 83 in the district on Saturday.

It may take some more weeks for anti-viral drug remdesivir to available to Covid-19 patients in India as pharmaceutical companies, seeking to manufacture them domestically, are still working on furnishing safety and quality data, even though the approval process for its introduction is being fast-tracked. India's drug regulator had on June 1 granted US pharma giant Gilead Sciences marketing authorisation for its drug remdesivir, being touted as a potential treatment for Covid-19, in the country. Four companies -- Hetero, Jubilant Life Sciences, Cipla and Mylan NV -- with which the original drug maker, Gilead Sciences Inc, have entered into non-exclusive licensing agreements are still awaiting nod from the DCGI for manufacturing and selling of remdesivir in India. The Union Health Ministry on Saturday, in its revised 'Clinical Management Protocol for Covid-19', recommended the use of remdesivir under emergency use authorization on patients with moderate disease -- that is those on oxygen support. It is not recommended for those with severe renal impairment and in children less than 12 years, pregnant and lactating women.

The Delhi government is planning a 10,000-bed makeshift hospital for Covid-19 patients under a sprawling tent in south Delhi to prepare for a projected surge in cases in the city. The planned Covid-19 facility will come up at the south Delhi campus of spiritual organisation Radha Soami Satsang Beas. The lush green campus is located near the Delhi-Haryana border. The COVID-19 facility, which will be 1,700 feet long and 700 feet wide, will have 200 enclosures with 50 beds each, said Vikas Sethi, secretary of Radha Soami Satsang Beas, Bhati Mines. This makeshift hospital will be the largest such facility in the city so far. The work is expected to be completed by the end of June, he said. The metal tent has lights and fans installed. Coolers will be needed considering the heat. The medical staff can also be accommodated in a building on the campus, he added.