COVID-19 Cases India Updates: India has extended lockdown till May 3. (File)
With attacks increasing on healthcare workers amid the coronavirus pandemic, the government has brought in an ordinance to protect doctors. Attacks on health care workers have been made a non-bailable offence and will carry imprisonment from six months to seven years, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar has announced.
Safety and dignity of our doctors at their workplace is non-negotiable, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said as he urged the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to withdraw a symbolic protest by doctors against attacks on health workers who are in the frontline of the country's coronavirus battle. The doctors' body withdrew its protest after their meeting with the Home Minister and the Health Minister today.
The death count due to COVID-19 rose by 49 taking the number to 652 and the number of cases climbed to 20,471 in the country.
According to the Union Health Ministry, the number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 15, 859 while 3,959 people have been cured and discharged, and one patient has migrated.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases Highlights:
Coronavirus Update From US: Donald Trump Suspend Immigration To US US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he had signed an order partially suspending immigration to the United States, arguing the drastic measure would protect jobs during the coronavirus crisis.
"In order to protect our great American workers, I've just signed an executive order temporarily suspending immigration into the United States. This will ensure that unemployed Americans of all backgrounds will be first in line for jobs as our economy reopens," he told a press conference.
The suspension hits people applying for permanent residency, or green cards. Seasonal workers, such as immigrants vital to US farm labor, are still allowed to enter.
AFP
Coronavirus Update From Punjab: 18 COVID-19 Cases Reported In Punjab's Patiala
Eighteen new patients have tested positive for coronavirus in Punjab's Patiala.
"18 new positive cases, all related to the original Rajpura case (where five cases were reported and all were asymptomatic and the virus was transmitted through the same source)," said Punjab's Special Chief Secretary KBS Sidhu on Wednesday.
ANI Input
Coronavirus Update From Assam: Quarantine Facility Will Be Converted Into Jail If People Don't Coordinate, Says MinisterAssam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said the Sarusajai Quarantine Facility in Guwahati would be converted to a temporary jail if those undergoing quarantine there do not cooperate with the authorities.
Mr Sarma interacted on Wednesday at the centre with a section of quarantined persons from Nalbari who had complained on social media about the alleged lack of facilities and demanded that they be allowed to go home.
The minister told reporters that their complaints would be looked into but they will not be allowed to go unless the doctors give them the clearance certificate.
PTI
Coronavirus Update From Pune: 68 New Cases, 6 deathsSixty-eight new COVID-19 cases and six deaths have been reported in Pune district since Tuesday night, an official said on Wednesday.
The death count in the district thus reached 60.
"While one COVID-19 patient died in Sassoon Hospital on Tuesday night, three deaths were reported on Wednesday, two at Sassoon and one at Symbiosis Hospital," a civic health officials said.
PTI
Coronavirus News From Madhya Pradesh: Suspected Coronavirus Patients Sing ''Hum Honge Kamyab'' In IndoreSome suspected coronavirus patients in a ward of Indore's ESIC hospital were seen singing popular civil rights movement song "Hum Honge Kamyab".
In a video being widely circulated on social media, the inmates can be seen singing the famous Hindi song and clapping together.
Indore is one of the worst-hit cities which so far reported 923 coronavirus positive cases and 54 deaths.
PTI
Coronavirus Update From Gujarat: MLA Abuses Traffic Jawan For Stopping His Car, Say Police
A Congress MLA from Gujarat on Wednesday allegedly abused a traffic regulator enforcing the coronavirus lockdown in Mehsana district for stopping his car.
In a video of the incident, the MLA Chandanji Thakor can be heard using abusive language in the presence of a traffic police constable.
PTI
Coronavirus Update From Delhi: Traders At Azadpur Mandi Want Market Shut After Man Dies Of COVID-19Traders at Asia's biggest fruit and vegetable wholesale market, Azadpur Mandi, have requested the government to close it for some days.
The market, according to traders, gets crowded and all precautions against coronavirus are ignored.
Fear gripped in after reports of a vegetable seller dying of COVID-19 on Tuesday.
Many of the vegetable dealers have complained of irregular temperature screening and no proper sanitization.
ANI
COVID-19 news: Puducherry Chief Minister welcomes ordinance to punish those attacking, healthcare personnel
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Wednesday welcomed the Union Cabinet decision to bring an ordinance making acts of violence and harassment against healthcare personnel deployed in combating COVID-19 a non-bailable offence with maximum punishment of seven years imprisonment, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: J&K's Pulwama, Kishtwar become coronavirus-free
Pulwama and Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir have become coronavirus-free as all four patients in the two districts have recovered from the infection, according to a bulletin issued by the Union Territory's administration on Wednesday.
While Pulwama had reported three cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, Kishtwar had one, PTI reported.
Coronavirus update: Treat all patients as suspect COVID-19 case, says government to hospitals near containment zones
The Union health ministry in an advisory has suggested hospitals located in and around COVID-19 containment zones to treat all patients coming to them as suspected cases of coronavirus infection until proven otherwise and exercise standard care, PTI reported.
COVID-19 news: 431 new coronavirus cases in Maharashtra
The number of coronavirus cases increased by 431 in Maharashtra on Wednesday while 18 people died due to the pandemic, a health official said.
COVID-19 news: CRPF donates one lakh surgical face masks to AIIMS
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has donated one lakh 3-ply surgical face masks for the healthcare workers of AIIMS, who are working in frontline for the management of COVID-19 patients, ANI reported.
Return of stranded people to their native states will pose challenge, says Jitendra Singh
Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the return of people stranded in different parts of the country due to the lockdown to their native states will pose a major challenge after the curbs are lifted, PTI reported.
COVID-19 News: 92-Year-Old Woman Recovers From Coronavirus In Pune
Amid the daily increase in the number of coronavirus cases and a high mortality rate, recovery of a 92-year-old woman from COVID-19 has brought some cheer for Pune.
What makes the recovery of the woman, resident of Kondhwa area, even more remarkable is that she had suffered a paralysis attack seven months ago.
She and four other members of her family had tested positive for coronavirus and were admitted to a Pune hospital in the first week of April, PTI reported.
COVID-19 news: Mamata Banerjee Visits Kolkata Localities, Tells People To Follow Lockdown
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today continued her tour of the metropolis, visiting a number of places for the second consecutive day and urging people to adhere to lockdown norms, even if that meant facing certain difficulties.
Ms Banerjee went to Khidderpore, Park Circus and Ballygunje areas in the city, addressing residents on a loudhailer.
"Please follow the lockdown norms and strictly practise social distancing... even if you face certain difficulties. Don't hide conditions like fever or symptoms of common cold," she said from inside her car, PTI reported.
COVID-19 news: Aviation Ministry Staff Tests Positive For Coronavirus
The Ministry of Civil Aviation today said one of its employees who attended office on April 15 has tested positive for COVID-19.
All colleagues, who came in contact with the employee, have been asked to go into self-isolation as a precautionary measure, it said.
The office of the Civil Aviation Ministry has been sealed for three days as it has to be sanitised thoroughly, senior government officials said.
"All rooms, corridors and offices of B-block will be sanitised thoroughly during the next three days," they said, PTI reported.
COVID-19 news: Chhattisgarh seeks transfer of donations from PM CARES Fund to state
The Chhattisgarh government has requested to the Centre to immediately transfer to the state the CSR funds donated to Prime Minister CARES Fund by the industrial and mining units operating in the state for the fight against COVID-19, PTI reported.
State Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel made this request in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
COVID-19 news: Delhi government forms audit committee to monitor COVID-19 deaths
The Delhi government has constituted a three-member committee to audit on a daily basis the deaths caused by novel coronavirus in the national capital, PTI reported.
COVID-19 news: Air ambulance shifts patient to Mangaluru hospital from Coimbatore
Amid the COVID-19 lockdown, a 65-year-old patient suffering from paralysis was shifted from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu to the city for treatment at a hospital in an air ambulance, hospital sources said. Based on a request from the patient, Durgaprasad Hegde from Mangaladevi in the city, the Coimbatore district collector granted him permission to fly to his hometown, after getting approval from the union civil aviation ministry and holding talks with the Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner, PTI reported.
COVID-19 news: Security guard at Ramdas Athawale's residence tests COVID-19 positive
A security guard posted at the residence of Union minister Ramdas Athawale has tested coronavirus positive, PTI reported.
Mr Athawale, who is the Minister of State for Social Justice, resides in Bandra East locality.
COVID-19 news: Security guard at Ramdas Athawale's residence tests COVID-19 positive
A security guard posted at the residence of Union minister Ramdas Athawale has tested coronavirus positive, PTI reported.
Mr Athawale, who is the Minister of State for Social Justice, resides in Bandra East locality.
COVID-19 news: 735 doctors recruited recently, posted in state hospitals, says Rajasthan Health Minister
Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma said that 735 doctors have recently been recruited and posted to hospitals in the state, ANI reported.
"The process for recruitment of 2000 doctors has begun as per the announcement of the Chief Minister in the last budget. We will complete the process in the next one and half months. 735 doctors have recently been recruited and posted in hospitals," Mr Sharma said.
Coronavirus update: Heightened restrictions in parts of Pune to curb virus spread
Restrictions in some parts of Pune city, which has already been declared as a containment zone,
have been further tightened by the police in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus, officials said, PTI reported.
Coronavirus update: 11 more test positive for COVID-19 in Kerala
Eleven more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Kerala with total positive cases in the State touching 437on Wednesday, PTI reported.
COVID-19 news: India gifts 23 tonnes of essential medicines to Nepal
India sent 23 tonnes of essential medicines to Nepal to help it fight the coronavirus pandemic which has infected 45 people in the country, PTI reported.
COVID-19 news: Ministry of Railways offers to supply 2.6 lakh meals daily
With the nationwide lockdown extended to May 3, Ministry of Railways has offered to supply 2.6 lakh meals daily from various railway kitchens wherever the district administration is willing and able to pick up cooked meals and distribute among the needy. This has been communicated to district authorities all over the country, ANI reported.
Coronavirus news: Assam to get journalists tested for COVID-19
The Assam government will conduct COVID-19 tests for journalists in the state on April 25, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Government brings ordinance to end violence against health workers
Coronavirus news: Harsh Vardhan says, harassment and physical violence will be a punishable offence
Coronavirus news: Seven workers trek home from Jhansi, walk 500 km
Jobless in Jhansi after the coronavirus lockdown, seven migrant workers walked nearly 500 kilometres to reach their village.
The labourers said they remained 20 days without work in Jhansi after the nationwide lockdown was imposed.
Then, as their savings ran out, they decided to set out on foot for their village, Khadar in Balrampur district's Pachpedwa area.
The trek home took seven days. They reached here on Monday and have been home quarantined by the authorities.
Shiv Prasad was desperate to reach home also because of his sick mother, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: ASHA workers continue to do COVID surveys in Red Zones, despite hostility
Braving all odds, workers of the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) are conducting door to door surveys in the Red Zones of Nagpur putting their lives at risk, ANI reported.
Coronavirus update: Spain records 435 coronavirus deaths overnight
Spain's death count from the coronavirus climbed by 435 in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said. The cummulative death count now stands at 21,717.
Attacks on the healthworker will not be tolerated: Prakash Javadekar
With attacks increasing on healthcare workers amid the coronavirus pandemic, the government has brought in an ordinance to protect doctors. "Health workers who are trying to save the country from this epidemic are unfortunately facing attacks. No incident of violence or harassment, against them will be tolerated. An ordinance has been brought in, it'll be implemented after President's sanction," Mr Javadekar said.
Coronavirus: 7 more COVID-9 cases in Karnataka
With seven more people tested positive for COVID-19, the total number of cases now stands at 425 as of date in Karnataka, informed state health department on Wednesday.
Coronavirus: Health Ministry urges people to participate in COVID-19 telephonic survey
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Affairs on Wednesday urged the people to participate in the survey being undertaken to gather feedback from citizens on the prevalence and distribution of COVID-19 symptoms.
2,156 coronavirus cases in Delhi: Health Minister Satyendar Jain
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain today said that there are a total 2,156 coronavirus cases in the national capital including 611 who have recovered from the disease.
Coronavirus: Thank IMA for withdrawing their protest, says Harsh Vardhan
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said I thank Indian Medical Association for withdrawing their protest
Coronavirus: 553 more COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra
The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in Maharashtra stands at 5,229 till 10 am today after 553 fresh cases reported in the last 24 hours, according to the data of state''s Public Health Department. The total number of deaths in the state, due to COVID-19, has climbed to 251 after 19 more deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours.
Coronavirus: Bengal ends row with Centre over COVID-19 teams with "highest assurance"
An escalating row over the centre sending teams to West Bengal to investigate alleged lockdown violations has been paused after an exchange of angry letters between the union home secretary and the state's chief secretary, besides a few phone calls.
Read More COVID-19 update: Aviation ministry employee tests positive
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said an employee of the ministry who attended office on April 15 has tested positive for coronavirus.
Coronavirus news: Yogi Adityanath holds COVID-19 review meeting
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday chaired a meeting with ''COVID-19 management Team-11'' of Uttar Pradesh to review the situation regarding coronavirus pandemic.
WATCH: Police perform 'aarti' of people who violated coronavirus lockdown norms at Kidwai Nagar in Kanpur.
Safety and dignity of our doctors at their work place is non-negotiable, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said as he urged the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to withdraw a symbolic protest by doctors against attacks on health workers who are in the frontline of the country's coronavirus battle. The doctors' body withdrew its protest after their meeting with the Home Minister and the Health Minister today.
Coronavirus: 5 more COVID-19 deaths reported from Gujarat
Death of five more COVID-19 patients has been reported from Gujarat on Wednesday, taking the toll in the state to 95, state Health Department said.
Coronavirus: 6 inmates at Indore Central Jail test positive for COVID-19
Six prisoners at Indore Central Jail have tested positive for COVID-19, said Lakshman Singh Bhadauria, Deputy Superintendent, Central Jail, news agency ANI reported as saying.
Coronavirus news: 94 new COVID-19 cases in Gujarat
The number of coronavirus cases in Gujarat rose to 2,272 after 94 more people tested positive for it in the state on Wednesday, a health department official said.
Delhi government constitutes audit committee to review COVID-19 deaths
In view of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Delhi government has constituted a death audit committee comprising of three doctors. The committee has been mandated to audit each death of COVID-19 affected patients in government and private hospitals in the national capital before releasing data.
COVID-19: Death toll rises to 55 in PuneA 53-year-old COVID-19 positive patient, died on Tuesday night, taking the death count in Pune district to 55, said Health Department officials.
Coronavirus: Amit Shah talks to doctors, IMA amid pandemic
Union Home Minister Amit Shah interacted with doctors and Indian Medical Association (IMA) through video conferencing.
Coronavirus: 21 persons from Moradabad test COVID-19 positive
As many as 21 persons from Moradabad, including 2 women and a three-year-old child, tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday night. The tests were conducted at the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow after the swab samples of the patients were referred by CMO, Moradabad.
WATCH: Police personnel punish the violators of coronavirus lockdown in Indore.
COVID-19: Rajasthan confirms 64 new coronavirus cases
Health officials confirmed 64 coronavirus cases in Rajasthan today, taking the total number of cases in the state to 1,799 and 26 deaths due to the disease.
Coronavirus update: Delhi's Azadpur mandi reports first COVID-19 Death
A 57-year-old seller at Delhi's Azadpur mandi died due to coronavirus yesterday.
Coronavirus: West Bengal assures cooperation to central teams visiting state; writes letter to MHA
The West Bengal government has assured the Centre that it will abide by all its orders related to the ongoing lockdown and assured full cooperation to the two visiting central teams assessing the ground situation in the state.
Coronavirus: 19,984 positive cases have been reported
Total 19,984 positive coronavirus cases have been reported across the country so far which includes 640 deaths.
Coronavirus cases: Delhi-Noida border closed
Delhi-Noida border has been completely closed by Gautam Budh Nagar administration as a preventive measure against COVID-19
Coronavirus: Delhi police are conducting checks at the Delhi-Ghaziabad border
Delhi police are conducting checks at the Delhi-Ghaziabad border. Traffic movement between Delhi and Ghaziabad has been completely prohibited, only those rendering essential services and people holding valid passes are being allowed.
3 Doctors, 19 Paramedical Staffs Sent To Quarantine In Odisha's JajpurThree doctors and 19 paramedical staff members were on Tuesday sent to quarantine in a district hospital here after a patient, who came in contact with them, tested positive for coronavirus on April 20, District Magistrate Ranjan Kumar Das said.
A total of seven people have tested positive in the district on Tuesday, out of which one had attended an event in Delhi and have recovered after treatment at Ashwini Hospital in Cuttack, news agency ANI reported.
92 COVID-19 Hotspots Identified In J&KA total of 92 areas have been identified and designated as red zones in the Union Territory (UT), said Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary (Planning), Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday.
Of the 92 areas, 14 are in Jammu while 78 are in Kashmir.
"These red zones will be under stricter restrictions on movement, extra surveillance and will have enhanced testing. We are conscious of the fact that it is an inconvenient process and people in red zones, hotspots and containment areas face difficulties. We assure you that the health department is doing all it can to ensure the inconvenience to citizens is minimised," Mr Kansal said.
In order to strengthen the surveillance in the state, the administration is launching a ''first of its kind'' app in the country called the Swasth Nidhi COVID-19 Health Audit App. "This is the first of its kind and unique endeavour in the entire country," Mr Kansal said, news agency ANI reported.
More than 2,700 dead in United States from coronavirus in last 24 hours, news agency AFP reported.
Bengaluru Hospital Given Permission To Test Plasma Therapy On COVID-19 PatientsThe Directorate General of Health Services, Government of India has given permission to HCG Bangalore Institute Of Oncology Specialty to conduct clinical trials on COVID-19 patients using plasma therapy.
Dr Vishal Rao of the hospital has been allowed to conduct the therapy.
"Grant of permission given to conduct a clinical study in India entitled "Open-label, parallel-arm, Phase I/II Clinical Trial to evaluate safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma as therapy for COVID-19 Severe SARS-Cov-2 Disease," said Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) in a letter.
Karnataka Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said, "Plasma therapy holds great promise in treating COVID-19 patients and I am happy to inform that ICMR agreed to our request and permission has been given for plasma treatment to Dr Vishal Rao, HCG Bangalore Institute of Oncology."
Plasma therapy involves injecting patients with plasma taken from the people who have recovered from the infection and whose bodies have, therefore, generated the antibodies required to fight the virus, news agency ANI reported.
ICMR Releases List Of 87 Private Laboratories To Conduct COVID-19 TestsThe Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Tuesday released a list of 87 private laboratories to conduct COVID-19 tests.
Among the 87 laboratories, which are set up in 15 states, Maharashtra has the highest number of COVID-19 testing labs at 20. It is to mention that Maharashtra is the worst-hit state in the country in terms of the number of people infected from coronavirus.
Moreover, 12 laboratories are in Telangana, 11 in Delhi, 10 in Tamil Nadu, 7 in Haryana, 6 in West Bengal, 5 in Karnataka 4 in Gujarat, and 2 each in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and 1 each in Uttarakhand and Odisha.
The ICMR further said that a total of 4,62,621 samples from 4,47,812 individuals have been tested for COVID-19 as on April 21 at 9 pm.
"Also, 26,943 samples have been reported on 21 April till 9 pm," it added, news agency ANI reported.
United States coronavirus deaths top 45,000, doubling in a little more than a week, news agency Reuters reported.