COVID-19 Cases India Updates: 47 coronavirus deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.
Coronavirus Highlights: At least nine chief ministers -- mostly from east and northeastern India --are expected to speak during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video-conference with Chief Ministers today. This is the fourth time the Prime Minister is interacting with the states since the countrywide lockdown started on March 14. The video-conference -- which begins at 10 am -- is expected to review the extension of the lockdown. A clear exit plan and how it should be implemented in a phased manner will also be discussed.
The country recorded 1,975 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours - its biggest single-day spike so far - taking the total to 26,917, including 826 deaths, the Union Health Ministry said this morning. Forty-seven deaths linked to the highly contagious illness were reported in the last 24 hours.
Nearly 68 percent of the COVID-19 cases have been reported from 27 districts, the government data shows, indicating that the virus is spreading in clusters. These "high load districts" are spread across the states and union territories worst hit by the outbreak - Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, among others. In Maharashtra, which has reported India's 13.8 per cent of COVID-19 cases, 47.6 per cent cases are from Mumbai. In Gujarat, the state with the second highest number of cases in India, nearly 62 per cent of cases have been reported from Ahmedabad.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases in India Highlights:
Coronavirus News: PM Modi To Interact With Chief Ministers Today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a video conference with the Chief Ministers of all states on Monday amid the coronavirus lockdown.
The Prime Minister has held two such interactions earlier with the Chief Ministers over the COVID-19 situation.
PM Modi had on March 24 announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The lockdown was later extended till May 3.
Coronavirus Lockdown: Over 1,500 Stranded Workers In Haryana Brought To UPOver 1,500 workers stuck in Haryana due to the coronavirus lockdown were brought to Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, an official said.
They were brought in 62 buses to the UP border from where they were taken to their destinations, an official said, adding that they were provided with food packets.
PTI
Coronavirus In US: New York May Partially Reopen On May 15, Says Governor Andrew CuomoNew York, which has ground to a halt to stop the coronavirus pandemic, may start reopening manufacturing and construction after May 15, Governor Andrew Cuomo said Sunday.
Cuomo, however, said that any easing of measures would take place first in the north of the state and not in the New York City metropolitan region, by far the hardest-hit area in the United States.
"The regions that would be more likely able to open sooner would be the upstate regions," Cuomo told reporters. "Downstate New York is going to be more complicated."
COVID-19 Update: Canada Warns Against Chloroquine Use As Coronavirus Treatment
anadian health authorities have issued a warning against the use of anti-malarial drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus infections or prevent reinfections.
"Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine can have serious side effects. These drugs should be used only under the supervision of a physician," Canada's public health agency said in a note posted Saturday on its website.
COVID-19: SOPs For Farmers, Traders Extended In Tamil NaduThe Tamil Nadu government on Sunday extended by one month the waiver on warehouse charges, interest on loan against farm produce stocked in godowns and a cut in cold storage user fee, announced as part of measures to the help farmers during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Also, one per cent market fee waiver for traders was also extended by one more month, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said on Sunday.
Already it had been announced that farmers need not pay warehouse charges, interest and user fee till this month end and it was now being extended by one more month, he said in an official release.
Similarly, traders too need not remit fee for procurement of produce from farmers also for a month more (apparently for till May end), he added, news agency PTI reported.
Over 1,500 Stranded Workers Brought In Uttar PradeshOver 1,500 workers stuck in Haryana due to the coronavirus lockdown were brought to Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, an official said.
They were brought in 62 buses to the UP border from where they were taken to their destinations, DM Sarvagya Ram Mishra said, adding that they were provided with food packets.
He said a report about a suspected coronavirus patient, who was proceeding to Fatehpur from Karnal, has been sought from Haryana.
He has been hospitalised and his two associates quarantined, news agency PTI reported.
With 293 new COVID-19 cases reported today in Delhi, the total number of positive cases in Delhi rises to 2,918 and death count stands at 54: Delhi Government
102 new COVID-19 cases and 7 deaths have been reported in Rajasthan today, taking the total number of cases to 2185 & deaths to 41. 629 patients have been discharged from hospitals after being cured of the disease: Rajasthan Health Department
A nursing staff, who was deputed at Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital of Delhi AIIMS, has tested positive for COVID-19. Her two kids have also contracted the infection. However, her husband is tested negative. A security guard deputed at OSD office of Delhi AIIMS has also been found COVID-19 positive. Contact tracing has been initiated, news agency ANI reported quoting AIIMS officials
COVID-19 News: 3-Year-Old 1st To Recover From Coronavirus In Maharashtra's Palghar
A three-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Palghar reached a bouquet-lined home TOday amid cheers from neighbours and local officials, in
the process becoming the district's first person to recover from the novel coronavirus infection, health officials said in Palghar.
The girl, from Dasrapada in Ganjad area, was discharged from a hospital in the district, an official said.
"Three swab tests returned negative after which doctors decided to discharge the three-year-old girl today," news agency PTI reported.
Coronavirus News: In Bihar, 19 Tests Positive For COVID-19, Total Reaches 274-Mark
Nineteen more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Bihar today, taking the total number of cases in the state to 274, a top Health department official said in Patna.
The number of active cases now stands at 216. Eleven patients were cured and discharged from a Patna hospital, he said, adding that number of patients who have recovered so far stands at 56 and two fatalities recorded.
Of the fresh cases, six are in Rohtas, five in Gopalganj, four in East Champaran, three in Arwal and one in Jehanabad, Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar said, news agency PTI reported.
Coronavirus News: Migrant Worker Dies Of COVID-19 In Punjab, Cases Reach 313-Mark
A 48-year-old migrant worker died of coronavirus in Punjab's Jalandhar on Sunday, pushing the death toll to 18 in the state.
Meanwhile, the number of infected patients rose to 313 with four more people testing positive for the infection.
The victim, who worked at a leather factory, had tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday, an official said, adding that he also suffered from pneumonia.
There are 211 active cases in the state.
A total of 14,317 samples have been taken so far in the state, of which 10,497 tested negative negative for the infection. Reports of 3,507 samples are still awaited, news agency PTI reported.
Coronavirus News: Nepal Lockdown Extended Till May As COVID-19 Cases Reach 52
Nepal today extended the nationwide lockdown till May 7 as the novel coronavirus cases rose to 52 after three people tested positive for COVID-19.
The government during a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli decided to extend the lockdown for 10 more days till May 7. Earlier, the lockdown was extended till April 27.
The country has been under lockdown since March 23. All government services other than essential have been shut down.
The government on Saturday restricted the operation of international and domestic flights until May 15 as a precautionary measure against the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, news agency PTI reported.
324 new COVID-19 cases and 13 deaths have been reported in Mumbai today, taking the total number of cases to 5,194 & deaths to 204. 135 patients discharged today after recovery; total 897 patients discharged till today: Public Health Department, Mumbai.
No deaths reported in the last 24 hours in Telangana. 11 new COVID-19 positive cases reported in the state today, taking the total active cases toll to 660: State Health Department
United Kingdom's death count reaches 20,732 with 413 new coronavirus deaths, news agency AFP reported.
Coronavirus News: Madhya Pradesh COVID-19 Cases Cross 2,000, Death Count Reaches 103
With as many as 145 people testing coronavirus positive in Madhya Pradesh in the last 24 hours, 91 of them in Indore, the number of such patients in the state climbed to 2,090, health officials said today.
Four more fatalities were also reported since Saturday evening, taking the death count in the state to 103, they said.
Indore, the worst-affected district, alone accounts for 57 deaths.
Since Saturday night, Indore recorded 91 new infection cases, followed by Bhopal at 27, Jabalpur at 16, Ujjain at three, Raisen and Dewas two each and Dewas, Khagone, Ratlamand Mandsaur one each, the officials said, news agency PTI reported.
Coronavirus News: Lockdown Violator In Madhya Pradesh Made To Do Squats As Punishment A man was made to do squats on road here for flouting the lockdown guidelines today.
Security committee personnel flagged him down while he was driving his luxury car amid lockdown.
The video of him performing squats while holding ears has gone viral on the internet.
Indore Police have found a variety of ways to publicly punish people flouting coronavirus lockdown - making them do squats, sit-ups and push-ups in the street, news agency ANI reported.
Coronavirus News: 10-Day Leave For 226 Elderly Maharashtra Civic Staffs To Prevent COVID-19 Spread
Over 200 staff above the age of 55 of Aurangabad Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra have been sent on leave for 10 days to protect them from getting infected with the novel coronavirus, an official said today.
The decision was taken as a precautionary measure amid opinions by medical experts that elderly people are more at risk from COVID-19, news agency PTI reported.
Coronavirus News: Firm Seeks To Ferry Vegetables From Assam To States Amid Lockdown
A private firm has expressed willingness to transport 10 tonnes of vegetables every day from Assam to other states on chartered flights during the lockdown, state Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said today.
The firm seeks to fly two sorties every day to transport the vegetables, he said.
The state government is in discussion with central agencies for granting of permission to the company so that farmers' produce don't get wasted during the lockdown, the minister told reporters in Guwahati, news agency PTI reported
Assam Government Doing Best To Provide Support To Elderly, Destitute Amid Lockdown: Sarbananda SonowalAssam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday said the state government was doing its best to provide help and support to the elderly and destitute with all departments working together to defeat the scourge of the coronavirus.
The chief minister visited the State Home for Women, and the Mothers' Old Age Home here and interacted with the inmates, besides taking stock of their health condition and availability of food and medicines.
"As elderly persons fall within the vulnerable category, there is a need to ensure regular health check-ups for them and nutritious food to boost their immunity," he said.
Mr Sonowal said the Social Welfare Department has been directed to ensure the safety and well being of the people staying in different shelter homes across the state.
The chief minister urged the inmates to keep themselves aware of the symptoms of COVID-19 and remain fully cautious, news agency PTI reported.
Coronavirus News: One COVID-19 Death In Karnataka, 3 New Cases Reported
Marking a dip, Karnataka today reported just three new COVID-19 cases while a woman died from coronavirus and and 24 people were discharged, the health department said.
The count due to COVID-19 in the state rose to 19 while the total cases to 503, including 182 discharges.
The state saw a drop in new cases after 26 people tested positive on Saturday, 29 on Friday and 18 on Thursday, news agency PTI reported.
Till date, 2090 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Madhya Pradesh and 103 people have lost their lives. Indore has recorded 1176 cases and 57 deaths while in Bhopal there are 415 cases & 9 deaths: Health Department, Madhya Pradesh
Coronavirus News: 15 CRPF Personnel Test COVID-19 Positive In Delhi
Fifteen Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel posted in a Delhi-based battalion have tested positive for COVID-19, officials said today.
The troops belong to CRPF's 31st battalion in which nine men had tested positive on Thursday, a senior official said.
With the fresh cases, the number of infected personnel in this unit stands at 24.
The patients have been isolated and admitted to a Delhi hospital, the official said, news agency PTI reported.
Coronavirus News: Over 200 Foreigners Stranded In India Evacuated
More than 200 Europeans mostly Swiss nationals stranded in India, following the nationwide lockdown were evacuated by a special plane of Swiss International Airlines, Kerala Tourism department said today in Kochi.
Besides the 164 passengers who had boarded from Kochi, the flight carried 49 others from Kolkata from where it had a stopover in the Kerala city.
This is the fourth flight that repatriated tourists from the state to Europe since the international airports were closed on March 23 to contain spread of Covid-19 disease, news agency PTI reported.
Coronavirus News: CRPF Ensures Maximum Safety For Delhi Soldiers Amid COVID-19 Spike
As the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has seen a major spike in the number of coronavirus cases in the force in Delhi in the last 48 hours, the force has taken various measures to ensure maximum safety of jawans deployed in the national capital.
According to official communication, the CRPF has said that all companies should ensure placing sanitiser machines in each and every duty vehicle for sanitising soldier during the duty apart from demanding more vehicles from the concerned authorities in Delhi, news agency ANI reported.
Coronavirus News: Assam Tells Landlords To Adopt Humanitarian Approach While Taking Rents
Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today appealed landlords to adopt a humanitarian approach in the collection of rents from students and tenants, in the wake of COVID-19 lockdown.
"We appeal to landlords and owners of private hostels and PGs to adopt a humanitarian approach and provide concessions while collecting rents from students, and from tenants working in private companies and those who do not have regular incomes," Himanta Biswa Sarma said, news agency ANI reported.
Uttarakhand Police Arrests Over 10,000 Persons For Lockdown ViolationAs many as 2,189 cases were lodged and 10,062 people have been arrested so far, for the breach of lockdown norms in Uttarakhand.
"Out of the total, 39 cases were registered and 391 people were arrested on Sunday," police said.
Meanwhile, under the Motor Vehicles Act, challans have been issued against 25,033 vehicles, 5,296 vehicles have been seized and fines amounting to Rs 1.24 crores have been levied.
The national lockdown, which was slated to end on April 14, has been extended till May 3 in a bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus, news agency ANI reported.
Lata Mangeshkar Praises Uddhav Thackeray For Steps In Fighting COVID-19Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar on Sunday lauded Maharashtra government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for dealing with the coronavirus crisis and also urged the people to stay at home.
The veteran singer took to Twitter to laud the steps taken by the government and Chief Minister Thackeray.
"Namaskar, whatever the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray said about the situation of the state and the steps taken by the government are truly commendable," she tweeted in Hindi.
"People of the Sarva Dharma should support our Chief Minister together. I request you all again to stay at home and stay safe," her tweet further read.
Chief Minister Thackeray is scheduled to discuss the current COVID-19 situation in the State with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, news agency ANI reported.
Coronavirus News: UP Reports 1,843 COVID-19 Positive Cases
As many as 1,843 positive COVID-19 cases have been reported in Uttar Pradesh till to date, said Amit Mohan Prasad, Principal Secretary of Health today.
Mr Prasad further said that out of 1,843 cases, 289 patients have either been cured or discharged, while 29 deaths have been reported in the state so far.
The total number of positive coronavirus cases across the country are 26,496, including 19,868 active cases of the virus, news agency ANI reported.
800 Phone Calls On Lockdown-Related Queries In 24 Hours: Delhi PoliceThe Delhi Police has received 800 phone calls on its 24-hour helpline number regarding lockdown-related queries since Saturday, officials said.
Till date, a total of 30,149 calls were received on its helpline number 23469526 on lockdown-related queries, they said.
From Saturday 2 pm to Sunday 2 pm, 800 such calls were received, of which 56 were in connection to matters outside Delhi and referred to the respective state helpline numbers, the police said.
Ten calls were about people having no food or no money, which were forwarded to NGOs, while 600 were related to movement passes, they added.
The food-delivery network established in all 15 districts of the national capital with the involvement of nearly 400 NGOs, RWAs, good samaritans, which was facilitated by the Delhi Police, has led to provisions of meals and food packets at more than 250 locations, which has enabled the feeding of 2,90,077 people and distribution of dry ration kits among 2,737 people, according to the police, news agency PTI reported.
Coronavirus News: Delhi High Court Orders To Make COVID-19 Kits Available At Lowest Possible Cost
The Delhi High Court has directed that COVID-19 related tests should be made available to the general public at the lowest cost possible as the country is going through an unprecedented medical crisis affecting public order.
"The country is going through an unprecedented medical crisis affecting public order. People have been cloistered in their homes or constrained to stay wherever they were on March 24. A profit mark-up of Rs 155 that is 61 percent on the landed cost price of Rs 245 is much on the higher side and in any case more than sufficient for the seller," Justice Najmi Waziri said, news agency ANI reported.
9 States Likely To Speak At Tomorrow's Video-Conference With PMAt least nine chief ministers -- mostly from east and northeastern India --are expected to speak during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video-conference with Chief Ministers tomorrow. This is the fourth time the Prime Minister is interacting with the states since the countrywide lockdown started on March 14.
The video-conference -- which begins at 10 am -- is expected to review the extension of the lockdown. A clear exit plan and how it should be implemented in a phased manner will also be discussed.
India's total number of coronavirus positive cases rises to 26,917, including 826 deaths: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
29 new COVID-19 cases detected in Jammu and Kashmir, total crosses 500-mark, officials said, news agency PTI reported.
Coronavirus News: 81 New COVID-19 Cases In Andhra Pradesh, Total Reaches 1097-Mark
Eighty-one more COVID-19 cases have been reported from Andhra Pradesh in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases in the state to 1097.
According to a media bulletin released by Andhra Pradesh state COVID Nodal Officer Arja Srikanth, as many as 6768 samples are tested in Andhra Pradesh in the last 24 hours from 9 AM Saturday to 9 AM Sunday, news agency ANI reported.
Only Essential Item Shops To Open In 4 Gujarat CitiesNo shops apart from those dealing with essential items will be allowed to open till May 3 during the coronavirus-induced lockdown in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot cities in Gujarat, an official said on Sunday.
The state government had conditionally eased some lockdown restrictions on shops, leaving aside those inside malls etc, on Saturday following an order to this effect by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) a day earlier.
A state government official said the decision to keep only shops dealing with essential items open was taken at a meeting on Sunday which was attended by the civic chiefs of the four cities, adding that traders and retail bodies had been consulted and they were in support.
Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra said the civic body had aimed to increase the span of COVID-19 cases doubling from the present eight days to 12 days by May 3, till when the nationwide lockdown is scheduled.
"To achieve this (12-day doubling) target, which is a little difficult, we have appealed to shopkeepers to not open shops till May 3. We have spoken to trade bodies and they have agreed. Police has also been informed. With shops open, the infection rate is likely to increase," Mr Nehra said.
The COVID-19 count in Ahmedabad has crossed the 2,000-mark, news agency PTI reported.
We should continue relief work till this pandemic ends, help all those who are affected due to COVID-19 crisis: Mohan Bhagwat to RSS workers, news agency PTI reported.
Coronavirus News: UP "Kitchen Warriors" Supply Food To 15,000 Needy People Daily Amid LockdownA group of "kitchen warriors" comprising cooks, food packagers and distributors is manning a community kitchen in Mathura which caters to around 12,000 to 15,000 people daily, bringing a ray of hope to those hit by the nationwide lockdown.
Initially it was started to provide food to labourers hired for various projects of the Uttar Pradesh Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad, but it transformed into a community kitchen and has distributed around 3.64 lakh food packets to the needy amid lockdown.
Around 50 cooks, all of them women, 40 food packagers and distributors each run the show, news agency PTI reported.
Coronavirus News: Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan Visits Delhi AIIMS Trauma CentreUnion Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan today visited Delhi AIIMS Trauma Centre, which has been converted into a dedicated COVID-19 hospital.
Earlier on April 24, Dr Harsh Vardhan and MoS, Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Choubey had held a meeting via video conferencing with state Health Ministers to review actions on COVID-19 management.
In the video conference, Dr Vardhan urged them to ensure that no unnecessary stigma is attached to COVID-19 and said that we need to identify people infected with COVID-19 and treat them, news agency ANI reported.
Coronavirus News: 12 J&K Girls Stitching COVID-19 Masks And Distributing Them For Free
Twelve girls in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district decided to stitch coronavirus masks free for distribution. They are planning to handover these masks to district administration. The local army unit has come forward to help the girls by providing raw materials for the masks.
"All of us are on Ramzan fast. We have resolved to contribute in our own little way in the fight against the disease. Hope our sadqa (or sadaqah/charity) will be of some help," Aarzo Akhter (17), a resident of Pasri Mohalla, told PTI.
"Initially we decided to contribute 20,000 masks, but now all of us have decided to render our services till the requirement of all the people is met," the leader of the group, Asma Bano (21) of Mohalla Haveli, said.
The members, who are all fasting, said they feel motivated enough to stitch even more masks than their daily target, news agency PTI reported.
4 new COVID-19 cases reported today in Bihar, taking the total number of cases in the state to 255: Bihar Principal Secretary (Health) Sanjay Kumar
Coronavirus News: Odisha, Gujarat To Constitute Joint Panel To Help Stranded Migrant Workers To Return
The Odisha and Gujarat governments today decided to constitute a joint committee to facilitate the return of stranded Odia migrant workers to their homes from the western state, a senior official said.
The decision in this regard was taken following discussions between Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, his Gujarat counterpart Vijay Rupani and Union Petroleum and Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan through video conference, he said.
A majority of the estimated five lakh Odia migrant workers stranded across the country due to the lockdown are in Gujarat, mainly in Surat, the official said.
The stranded migrant workers will be brought to Odisha mainly by buses while other modes of transportation will also be examined, the official said, news agency PTI reported.
6 new COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in Ranchi; a staff of Sadar Hospital, 3 in Hindpiri and 2 in Lowadih have tested positive. Total number of cases in the state rises to 73 now: Nitin Madan Kulkarni, State Health Secretary, Jharkhand
Coronavirus News: Goa Taxi Board Demands Rs 12,000 Per Month As Compensation Amid Lockdown
Taxi associations in Goa have demanded compensation for loss of income due to the lockdown in place for the novel coronavirus outbreak, an official said today.
An official said a representative of North and South Goa Tourist Taxi Owners' Association met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant this week.
As per the memorandum submitted to the chief minister, the associations have demanded Rs 12,000 per month for each taxi operator, and temporary waiver of bank EMIs on vehicle loans as well as insurance premium payment, news agency PTI reported.
1,843 positive COVID-19 cases have been reported till date in Uttar Pradesh, of which 289 cases have been cured/discharged. Total 29 deaths reported till now: Principal Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad
Coronavirus News: 2 Fresh COVID-19 Cases In Uttarakhand, Total Reaches 50
Two more persons, including a healthcare professional, at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh have tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttarakhand, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 50.
Two new positive cases of COVID-19 were detected in Dehradun district late on Saturday night, a health department bulletin said today.
One case was confirmed by the testing lab at the Doon Medical College and the other by the lab at AIIMS, Rishikesh, it said.
One of the two latest patients is a nursing officer who worked in the OPD of the Urology Department of AIIMS, Rishikesh, news agency PTI reported.
Coronavirus News: Junior Doctor Of Aligarh Medical College Tests Positive For COVID-19
A junior doctor at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Aligarh has been tested positive for COVID-19, the third medic in the establishment to be infected with the virus, Aligarh district health authorities said.
A spokesperson of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU)-affiliated medical college said the doctor tested positive on Friday and neither he has a known history of any contact with a COVID-19 patient nor was he connected to the hospital's isolation ward.
He also has no travel history and investigation about how he contracted the infection was on, the spokesperson said, news agency PTI reported.
COVID-19 News: Gujarat Coronavirus Situation Better Than Italy, Spain, France, Says Official
Gujarat, which has nearly the same population as Italy, France and Spain, reported less number of COVID-19 cases in 35 days after detection of the first case in the state as compared to the three European countries, a state health department official said today.
This is mainly due to measures like lockdown and containment strategy for people returning from abroad, state principal secretary (health) Jayanti Ravi told reporters.
The coronavirus cases in Gujarat rose to 3,071 in 35 days since the first patient was found, compared to 80,536 in Italy, 56,972 in France, and 94,410 cases in Spain, she said. The population of Italy is 6.04 crore, France-6.5 crore, Spain-4.7 crore, while the population of Gujarat is 6.25 crore, the official informed, news agency PTI reported.
Bhopal Division Of Indian Railways Converts 74 Coaches Into Isolation WardsBhopal Division of Indian Railways has converted 74 railways coaches into isolation wards, said Sunil Dhingra, Senior Section Engineer of Bhopal Division.
"The Central Government had issued orders that if the number of coronavirus cases increases then the Indian Railways will have to arrange facility for these patients. Hence, the Bhopal Division has converted 74 railway coaches into isolation wards," Mr Dhingra told ANI.
"The specialities of this coach are -- the middle berth has been removed in sleeper coaches, extra provision for medical equipment and for medical waste dustbin has been provided. Every window has a mosquito net, oxygen cylinder provision and one toilet been has been converted into a bathroom," he added, news agency ANI reported.
Assam: 8 more COVID-19 patients test negative and are discharged from hospitals. 4 discharged from Golaghat Civil Hospital, 4 others from MMCH, Guwahati. Total 27 patients have recovered in the state, 1 has died and 7 others undergoing treatment. The status of the 1st patient who tested positive on March 31 and is undergoing treatment at Silchar continues to remain positive.
Coronavirus News: 4 New COVID-19 Positive Cases In Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Total Rises To 33
Four more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, taking the total number of cases to 33, an official said today.
All the four people had come in contact with a COVID-19 patient and his family in south Andaman district, he said.
Last week, a 39-year-old police radio operator had tested positive for COVID-19 in the locality, which has now been declared a hotspot.
Of the total cases reported in the Union Territory, 22 are active now, the official said, news agency PTI reported.
Jain Community Delivers Free Meals, Medicine To Needy In DelhiIn the wake of COVID-19 outbreak and nationwide lockdown, members of the Jain youth organisation named Tarun Samaj reached out to the needy residing in capital's famous Chandni Chowk and its nearby areas with food packets and groceries.
The volunteers were seen distributing food to the needy in the area while adhering to the COVID-19 norms issued by the government.
When enquired how Jain monks, taking shelter in "upashrayas" in the capital, are getting food, Maiki Jain, joint secretary of Jain Tarun Samaj told ANI, "We are providing food to monks as well. Our organisation is reaching out to everyone who requires food or other necessities."
This organisation has started the service of providing free food to the needy from March 27. They are also providing medicines to the needy, news agency ANI reported.
81 new positive cases reported in the last 24 hours. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state rises to 1,097, including 31 deaths and 231 discharged. Active cases in the state rise to 835: State Command Control Room, Andhra Pradesh
Doctor Dies Of COVID-19 In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee CondolesWest Bengal Medical officer Doctor Biplab Kanti Dasgupta who was diagnosed with COVID-19 passed away at a hospital here on Sunday.
Mr Dasgupta has become the first case of a doctor succumbing to the deadly infection in the state.
The doctor (60) along with another man (34), both diagnosed with the disease and on ventilators died at a hospital here.
Mr Dasgupta was in charge of the central medical store wing of West Bengal government's health and family welfare department.
The resident of Haridevpur who was admitted to hospital on April 18 with respiratory distress and other co-morbidities. passed away at around 1:20 am on Sunday.
The other 34-year-old patient from the city's Garden Reach area who had tested positive for the disease and admitted on April 23 to the hospital also succumbed around 7 am at the same facility.
"We are deeply saddened by the news of Dr. Biplab Kanti Dasgupta, ADHS, Central Medical Store, WBHS passing away in the early hours of April 26," read a message from West Bengal Doctors Forum (WBDF), news agency ANI reported.
Assam government extends inter-district travel in the state by 3 more days to April 30, to allow two-way travel - from one destination to the other and vice-versa: Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
69 new COVID-19 cases and 2 deaths have been reported in Rajasthan today, taking the total number of cases to 2152 & deaths to 36 in the State. 518 patients have recovered from the disease so far: Rajasthan Health Department
COVID-19 Test Kits Should Be Made Available At Lowest Cost: High Court
COVID-19 test kits should be made available urgently at the lowest possible price so that the virus can be controlled and people''s health can be safeguarded at a time when the country was facing an "unprecedented medical crisis", the Delhi High Court has said.
Justice Najmi Waziri issued the direction to three private companies which had entered into an agreement to import 10 lakh test kits from China and distribute them here at a cost of Rs 600 each, the rate approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Read moreCoronavirus: Rajasthan Magician Sells Vegetables To Survive The LockdownA magician who once captivated the audience and received thunderous applause for his mesmerizing tricks is now forced to sell vegetables in the congested lanes of Rajasthan's Dholpur district.
The coronavirus pandemic has brought tough times for 38-year-old Raju Mahor more familiar as RJ Samrat Jadugar, forcing him to become a vegetable vendor leaving behind his 15 years of profession as a magician.
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80% COVID-19 Patients Asymptomatic In Maharashtra, Says Uddhav ThackerayMaharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray today said "80 per cent patients of coronavirus in the state are asymptomatic". Maharashtra currently has 7,628 cases, the highest in the country. A chunk of them are from Mumbai, the country's financial capital.
"The next three or four months are going to be very important," he said, referring to the delicate task of lifting the lockdown. Giving examples of urgent requirements, he said, "Doctors should start their clinics. Dialysis centers should be started.
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All Coronavirus Patients In Wuhan Have Been Discharged, Says ChinaThe Chinese city of Wuhan, where the global coronavirus pandemic began, now has no remaining cases in its hospitals, a health official told reporters on Sunday.
"The latest news is that by April 26, the number of new coronavirus patients in Wuhan was at zero, thanks to the joint efforts of Wuhan and medical staff from around the country," National Health Commission spokesman Mi Feng said at a briefing.
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Pregnant J&K Woman From COVID-19 Red Zone Dies In Hospital, Probe OrderedA pregnant woman, who hailed from a COVID-19 red zone area, died at a maternity hospital in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting authorities to order an inquiry into the death, officials said.
The woman, who hailed from Kharpora village -- which has been declared a coronavirus red zone by the administration -- in the south Kashmir district, was admitted to maternity and child care hospital Anantnag on Saturday morning, the officials said.
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Pollution Hotspots In Delhi, Mumbai Turn Into Green Zones During LockdownWith vehicles off the road and most industries shut for over a month due to the coronavirus lockdown, some pollution hotspots in Mumbai and Delhi have turned into green zones recording minimal or no pollution.
In Delhi, eight locations which used to be pollution hotspots before the lockdown have now become green zones, said Gufran Beig, director, Centre's System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).
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Coronavirus Updates: Aggressive Testing Key To Fight Battle Against COVID-19, Says Manmohan Singh
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday said that without aggressive testing facilities, India cannot conquer challenges posed by COVID-19.
Testing and tracing are the key to fighting the menace, he said in a video released by the Congress.
"There are problems with regard to the inadequacy of testing facilities and without more aggressive facilities of testing, we are not going to conquer this menace," Manmohan Singh said.
Coronavirus News: Senior Government Doctor, Another Man Die Of COVID-19 In West Bengal
A senior government doctor involved in the fight against COVID-19 and a 34-year-old man, both diagnosed with the diease, died at a hospital on Sunday, sources at the facility said.
The 60-year-old doctor, posted as assistant director health services (equipment and stores), was initially admitted to Beliaghata Infectious Diseases hospital and later shifted to a private hospital in Salt Lake on April 18, where he succumbed to the disease.
COVID-19 Test Kits Should Be Made Available At Lowest Cost: Delhi High Court
COVID-19 test kits should be made available urgently at the lowest possible price so that the virus can be controlled and people's health can be safeguarded at a time when the country was facing an "unprecedented medical crisis", the Delhi High Court has said.
Justice Najmi Waziri issued the direction to three private companies which had entered into an agreement to import 10 lakh test kits from China and distribute them here at a cost of Rs 600 each, the rate approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
WATCH | "Urging recovered coronavirus patients to donate plasma": Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
The global count of coronavirus cases has crossed 28 lakh mark, over 2 lakh deaths reported.
"Always Knew Spitting In Public Wrong, Best Time To Ensure We Don't": PM ModiSpitting in public places -- the one Indian habit that could not be dislodged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Clean India Movement -- got a firm thumbs down from him today as a key part of the battle against the coronavirus.
"We always knew that spitting in public places is wrong. Yet, it continued in places. Now is the best time to ensure we do not spit," PM Modi said today in his monthly radio address Mann ki Baat.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Addresses Media On Coronavirus Crisis
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses media on the coronavirus crisis. Here are the highlights:
- We have seen coronavirus spreads rapidly. In the 7th week, 21 people died,9 died last month.
- 260 people recovered from hospital in 7th month, 540 recovered last month.
- Last month has been successful. I am sure if we follow the lockdown norms, then we will be successful.
- On Friday, centre has relaxed norms. We will follow the order essential services, like chemists, milk etc will continue.
- No market will open, shopping complexes will remain shut.
- Standalone shops in neibhourhood/residential places will open. But these will remain shut in containment areas.
- We will not give further relaxations till May 3
- We will decide further relaxation only after May 3
- I am keeping look on each patients who has taken plasma tests.
- Plasma therapy has shown successful results
- We are trying to ensure that no one dies. People who have recovered from virus are being requested to give plasma.
- All the people, irrespective of their religion, should fight the virus
"Key Lessons For Us": Chief Of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat On COVID-19India will have to be self-reliant to become a regional power, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat said this morning as he talked about the "key lessons" taught by the COVID-19 health crisis. "Discipline and patience" helped the defence services in checking the spreading of virus, he said, adding that the novel coronavirus has affected Army, Air Force and Navy in a "limited manner".
COVID-19: 17 Police Officers Killed By Coronavirus In Peru
Seventeen police officers in Peru have died after contracting novel coronavirus while enforcing the nation's pandemic lockdown, officials and state media said.
Authorities admitted earlier this week that at least 1,300 officers had been infected by COVID-19.
On Saturday new interior minister Gaston Rodriguez, who was sworn in a day earlier after the sudden resignation of his predecessor when the infections tally emerged, said: "We have 17 deceased police officers nationwide, 11 of them in Lima."
The high number is linked to "the exposure that police officers have when intervening with people who violate the measures issued to contain the spread of the coronavirus," state news agency Andina said Saturday.
Peru has been on lockdown since March 16.
Mann Ki Baat: "We Are All In This Together"': PM On COVID-19 OutbreakThe war against COVID-19 pandemic has become a people's movement in the country and the people are rising to the occasion to help each other, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today. This "people driven" fight against the virus would be "be discussed in the future", he said, adding "I bow down to you all".
"City or a village, everywhere we can see people involved in the fight against the pandemic. While some are feeding the poor, others are selling land to raise money for this fight, yet others are contributing their pension," PM Modi said in his monthly radio address "Mann ki Baat" today.
Coronavirus Updates: UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Holds Meeting With Chairpersons Of 11 State Committees To Combat COVID-19
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday held a meeting with chairpersons of 11 committees of the state to review the situation regarding coronavirus pandemic.
The officials, with masks on face, were seen sitting few feet away from each other, thus maintaining the social distancing norm.
According to the Health Ministry, Uttar Pradesh has so far recorded 1793 cases of coronavirus, out which 261 people have been cured/discharged/migrated and 27 have died.
Coronavirus Updates: 226 Swiss Nationals Evacuated From Kochi And Kolkata
As many as 226 Swiss nationals stranded in India following the nationwide lockdown have left for Zurich by a Swiss International Airlines, an airport spokesperson said in Kochi on Sunday.
The flight departed for Zurich at 11.20 PM on Saturday from Cochin airport, he said.
The aircraft had arrived in Kochi after picking up 62 Swiss nationals stranded in Kolkata and 164 of them boarded the flight from here.
Earlier, the UK and Oman had evacuated their citizens stranded in Kerala due to lockdown by operating special flights.
PM Modi Addresses Nation Through His Monthly Radio Program "Mann Ki Baat"
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation in the 64th edition of his monthly radio programme "Mann Ki Baat" says India's fight against coronavirus is people driven.
Here are the highlights of what PM Modi said in "Mann Ki Baat":
- India's fight against coronavirus is people driven. This fight is being fought by the people and the administration together. Every citizen as a soldier is fighting this war.
- Be it in cities or a village, everywhere we can see people getting involved in this fight against the pandemic. While some are feeding the poor, some are making masks, others are selling their lands to raise money for this fight. Some are even contributing their pensions. Our hardworking farmers are also ensuring no one is hungry.
- We have created a digital platform -- covidwarriors.gov.in -- which around 1.15 crore people, including doctors and nurses, have joined. I urge you to join the portal and become a COVID warrior.
- Be it our businesses, office culture, education, medical sector... everyone is adapting to new changes in a post-coronavirus world.
- Today, we are realising every person's value -- people working in our houses, working in shops, drivers... We are now realising the importance of people during this coronavirus lockdown.
- This is a time, when India does not need to share medicines with other countries... and no one will even object. But still, India acted beyond its own self-interests and considered the humanitarian needs of the world. We took the responsibility to provide medicines to different countries to help everyone.
- When I speak to the leaders of other countries, they thank India and people of India. India's Ayurveda and Yoga is also being talked about and is appreciated across the world.
- COVID-19 has led to many changes around us, the most prominent among them is wearing a mask. Masks have become a part of life due to coronavirus. It doesn't mean if someone wears a mask, they are sick.
- Another awareness that has been created due to coronavirus is that spitting is a bad habit and poses grave dangers for the health. It is "better late than never", so people should give up the habit of spitting.
Madhya Pradesh Cop Tests Positive For Coronavirus After Arresting AccusedA police official in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh has tested positive for coronavirus after he went with a team to arrest a patient, charged under the National Security Act (NSA), from the neighbouring Narsinghpur district.
On April 20, a team of police officials arrested the man, who had contracted COVID-19 and escaped from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College Hospital in Jabalpur a day before.
COVID-19: German Start-Up In Global Demand With Anti-Virus Escalators
Tanja Nickel and Katharina Obladen were still in high school when they patented an idea to disinfect escalator handrails using UV light.
A decade later, their small German start-up UVIS can barely keep up with orders from around the world for their coronavirus-killing escalators and coatings for supermarket trolleys and elevator buttons.
"Everybody wants it done yesterday," Obladen, 28, told AFP at the company's workshop in central Cologne.
"The pandemic has made businesses realise they need to invest in hygiene precautions for staff and customers. It's gone from nice-to-have to must-have."
COVID-19: Gujarat-Based Company Develops Reusable PPE Kits
To contain biomedical waste, a Gujarat-based company has developed reusable Personal protective equipment (PPE) kits amid the coronavirus outbreak.
"Wearing these suits, doctors will be 100 per cent safe as it operates with positive air pressure. The air quality in the suits is also measured online. This PPE suit has its own decontamination process. As this is not disposable, so no biomedical waste will be generated," said Managing Director of Sure Safety (India) Ltd, N Dand while speaking to ANI.
Indore Strain May Be Deadlier, Will Send Samples For Testing: DoctorsDoctors treating COVID-19 cases in Indore say a more virulent strain may be wrecking havoc in the city, which has emerged as the coronavirus hotspot in Madhya Pradesh.
They say samples from Indore, where COVID-19 has killed 57 people, will be sent to the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) to confirm their apprehensions of the strain being deadlier than in other parts of the country.
Coronavirus News: Armed Forces Must Remain Safe From Virus To Support People And Government, Says General Bipin Rawat
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat on Sunday said the armed forces' personnel understand that they will have to remain uninfected by the virus to be able to support people and government as the country battles coronavirus outbreak.
"As far as defence services are concerned, we do understand our responsibility that at this time when the nation is fighting against COVID-19 menace, the defence services must operate beyond the mandate and come to the support of our people and government in whatever way we can," General Rawat told ANI in an exclusive interview.
Coronavirus Updates: Return To Open Court Hearings Once Lockdown Is Lifted, Says Supreme Court Bar Association
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has urged the Chief Justice of India that open court hearings should be restored at the earliest once the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown is lifted.
In a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde and other companion judges of the Supreme Court, SCBA stated that the Supreme Court proceedings being conducted by video conferencing must be limited to the time period of the present crisis, and video conferencing should not become the "New Normal'' and should not replace the "Open Court Hearings".
"It is well settled that in general, all cases brought before the courts, whether civil, criminal, or others, must be heard in open court. A public trial in open court is undoubtedly essential for the healthy, objective and fair administration of justice," the SCBA wrote.
COVID-19: Beijing Bans "Uncivilised" Behaviour To Improve Public Hygiene
Beijing has banned "uncivilised" behaviour such as not covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, the city government said Sunday, in a new set of regulations to improve public hygiene amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The laws aim to promote "civilised behaviour" and relate to combating the pandemic which has infected more than 82,000 in China alone.
Rulebreakers will be slapped with fines for offences including not wearing a mask in public when ill, the municipal government said on its website.
Coronavirus Updates: Recovered From COVID-19, Lucknow Doctor Donates Plasma For Treatment Of Patients
Tauseef Khan, a resident doctor at the KGMU here who recently defeated COVID-19, began the holy month of Ramzan, which is considered a time for giving, by donating his plasma for treatment of others suffering from the deadly disease.
Dr Khan, in his late 20s, contracted coronavirus from a patient while working at the King George's Medical University and tested positive for the infection on March 17.
He was discharged from the hospital on April 7 and is now back at work after a 14-day home quarantine.
Coronavirus News: French PM Edouard Philippe To Present Strategy On Ending Virus Lockdown
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will on Tuesday present the national strategy for emerging from the coronavirus lockdown, his office told AFP.
His announcement at the National Assembly will be followed by a debate and a vote. An app for tracing contacts of confirmed cases is also due to be unveiled Tuesday.
Seventeen priorities have been identified for gradually bringing the country out of lockdown from May 11.
These include reopening schools, companies returning to work, getting public transport back to normal, the supply of masks and sanitiser, testing policy and support for the elderly.
Federation of Resident Doctors' Association writes to Union Health Minister over accommodation facilities for resident doctors advised for home quarantine: news agency ANI
COVID-19: Locked In By Virus, Iraq Hit With New Pandemic: Domestic Abuse
"More morphine!" Malak's mother cried, her 20-year-old daughter hospitalised after a marital dispute left her severely burned -- the latest victim of domestic violence exacerbated by confinement in Iraq.
The nationwide lockdown since mid-March is meant to keep coronavirus cases down in the country, but it has led to a spike in another sad statistic: domestic violence.
The head of Iraq's community police, Brigadier General Ghalib Atiyah, told AFP that its log of domestic violence cases has increased by an average of 30 percent since the curfew came into force -- with some areas seeing as high as a 50-percent spike.
COVID-19: As Earnings Loom, Big Tech To Highlight Pandemic Efforts
Big Tech firms set to report quarterly results in the coming days are facing the challenge of spotlighting their roles battling the coronavirus pandemic without seeming as though they are cashing in on upheaval from the health crisis.
The normal talk on profits and revenue projections are likely to be replaced by discussions on how the world's most powerful companies are helping research for a COVID-19 treatment, protecting workers and easing the pains of locked-down consumers.
Quarterly updates are due this week from Google parent Alphabet, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon and Apple, all of which will see an impact from the pandemic.
Coronavirus Updates: New York Plans How To Return To Business Amid Pandemic
Banks are considering letting some employees keep working from home indefinitely, and staggering the shifts of those who do come into the office.
Hotels are trying to figure out a way to let arriving guests go straight to their rooms without signing in at the reception desk.
New York -- the financial, cultural and tourism capital of the United States -- is gingerly preparing to get back to business after more than a month of coronavirus shutdown.
"'When will we return to work?' is a question on many people's minds these days," said Jane Fraser, the number two official at Citigroup. She has assembled a committee of veteran bankers to come up with conservative scenarios for a return to something resembling normalcy.