NEW DELHI - India on Tuesday confirmed more than 75,000 new coronavirus cases and more than 1,000 deaths in the past 24 hours.
With more than 5.5 million cases, India is only behind the United States in the total number of confirmed infections. The death toll in India from the virus is nearly 89,000.
So far, nearly 76% of new virus cases are concentrated in 10 states, with Maharashtra, in central India, accounting for almost a quarter of new infections on Monday.
Daily new infections in India have been around 90,000 in recent days, but experts note that the evidence still varies from state to state. And new surges have been detected in states that have so far been relatively unscathed by the virus.
The central state of Chhattisgarh, where nearly half the population is poor, has seen the steepest increase in new infections. The number of cases in the state, where the health system is very fragile, has risen from around 33,000 at the beginning of the month to more than 86,000 today. The state government announced on Monday the closure of ten districts for a week.
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Follow AP's pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
HERE'S MORE HAPPENING:
LOS ANGELES - Hollywood unions have announced that they have reached an agreement on pandemic protocols with major studios that will allow for the broad resumption of film and television production after six months of stagnant film sets and widespread unemployment.
The Directors Guild of America, the International Alliance of Theater Stage Employees, the International Brotherhood of Truckers, the Basic Crafts unions, and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists jointly announced Monday the agreement reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers after months of planning and negotiation.
The deal includes the mandatory and full use of personal protective equipment and testing by cast and crew members, and a dedicated coronavirus supervisor to oversee it all.
It requires the use of a "zone system" that strictly limits interactions between people in sets according to the requirements of their work. Those who must deal with more people will be evaluated more frequently and will have more stringent protective equipment and space requirements. Actors will be evaluated with particular frequency because their work in front of the camera will not allow many protective measures.
The agreement also grants 10 days of paid COVID-19 sick leave per employee, which can be used after positive tests or when quarantine is necessary and says that employees who use the leave must be reinstated as long as their jobs continue to exist.
"The protocols pave the way for creative workers, who have been hit hard by the pandemic, to resume their trades and livelihoods in workplaces redesigned around their health," the unions said in a joint statement.
AUSTIN, Texas - On Monday, Texas began relaxing some coronavirus restrictions, including allowing restaurants to let more people in.
Governor Greg Abbott announced the changes last week. However, the gates remain closed indefinitely and a mask mandate still exists following a massive summer spread that became one of the deadliest outbreaks in the US.
Under the new orders, restaurants and retail stores that until now were only allowed to operate at half capacity were able to open up to 75% as of Monday in most of the state.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 1,742 new cases of coronavirus and 24 more deaths Monday from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
Health officials say 698,387 cases have been reported in Texas so far. The death toll is 14,917.
HARTFORD, Connecticut - Connecticut is forming an advisory group to validate the safety of coronavirus vaccines and how to distribute them to the public, Governor Ned Lamont said Monday.
Lamont said the goals are to make sure the vaccines are not harmful, that they can be trusted by the public, and that they are delivered with priority to certain populations, such as nursing homes, first responders, schools, and universities, while supplies are limited at first.
Lamont cited comments from Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that a vaccine is expected to be widely available by April.
HARRISBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has vetoed a bill that would give school districts the sole ability to make decisions about sports, including whether to allow and how many spectators.
Lawmakers are planning to vote to try to override Monday's veto.
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