Covid-19 India Updates: India reported 3,390 new cases in 24 hours (File photo)
Coronavirus India Live Updates: Two flights carrying a total of 335 people from the Gulf countries landed in Kerala's two airports on Friday night, as India's Vande Bharat Mission to bring home its nationals stranded due to COVID-19 lockdown in various countries entered second day.
While an Air India repatriation flight from Riyadh carrying 153 passengers, including 84 pregnant women, 22 children and four infants landed at the Kozhikode airport 8 pm on Friday night, another Air India Express flight from Bahrain with 177 passengers, including 5 infants, reached Kochi airport at 11.32 pm. Two flights had landed at Kochi and Kozhikode on Thursday from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, respectively.
India reported 3,390 new cases in 24 hours, taking the total cases to 56,342, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. There are 216 districts where no COVID-19 cases have been detected, and the recovery percentage is now 29.36%, it said. Till now, 16,540 patients have been cured and 37,916 patients are under active medical supervision, said a Ministry Official.
103 people died in the country during the period, according to the Union Health Ministry. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 37,916. "Around 29.35 per cent patients have recovered so far," a senior health ministry official said.
Air India's first flight that took off from Singapore carrying stranded Indian nationals onboard landed at the Delhi Airport this afternoon. Overall, 63 Air India flights will be sent to 13 countries to bring back Indians stranded their following the lockdown imposed to control the spiralling cases of coronavirus in the country.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu has recruited 2,570 nurses as it tries to control the spread of coronavirus. The The southern state has already recruited over 500 doctors and over 2,715 health inspectors to control the pandemic.
Early this morning, 15 migrant labourers, who were headed to Madhya Pradesh, were killed after a cargo train ran over them while they were sleeping on the tracks in Maharashtra's Aurangabad this morning, the railways said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and assured that all possible assistance will be provided.
No migrant labourer should walk back to home in Uttar Pradesh on foot from big cities like Delhi, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed the state officials on Thursday amid coronavirus pandemic. The state government "has been actively engaged in bringing them (migrants) back safely", a statement from Chief Minister's office read.
Speaking at a virtual global Buddha Purnima event on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India is making every effort to save the life of every citizen from coronavirus, but it is also taking its global obligations during the pandemic very seriously.
At least 13 states and Union Territories, including Kerala, Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir, have not reported any new case of COVID-19 till Thursday, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has said.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases in India Highlights:
COVID-19 Lockdown: Special flight from Dubai, with around 182 Indian nationals arrived at Chennai International Airport
COVID-19: India Post helps with doorstep AePS cash withdrawals in remote areas of Ladakh
Indian Post has reached out to doorsteps of people in rural and remote areas of Ladakh union territory for AePS cash withdrawals amidst the lockdown to contain spread of coronavirus pandemic.
"Ever since the lockdown began, India Post, Ladakh Postal division has disbursed Rs 10 lakh among 185 esteemed customers at their doorsteps through AePS cash withdrawal in rural remote areas of the UT," an officer of India Post said.
The Aadhaar-enabled Payment System (AePS) cash withdrawal facility has been availed by account holders of different banks at their doorstep from different branch post offices and villages, he said.
Restaurants, pubs and bars can sell liquor at retail prices: Karnataka government
Karnataka government in its latest order has allowed restaurants, pubs and bars to sell liquor at retail prices from May 9 till May 17. The third phase of coronavirus lockdown is slated to end on May 17.
"Karnataka government has allowed restaurants, pubs and bars to sell liquor at retail prices from tomorrow till May 17. However, they can be sold only in take away form," read an order issued by the state government.
Earlier, the government had allowed the opening of liquor shops in order to mobilise revenue. However, bars, pubs, restaurants were ordered to remain close amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
Pune confirms 111 new COVID-19 cases, 9 deaths on Friday
A total of 111 new cases of coronavirus have been reported in Pune on Friday, according to an official statement by the Pune Health Department. "As many as 9 deaths and 111 new positive cases reported in Pune district in the last 24 hours," read the statement.
Till now, 2,572 people have confirmed of coronavirus in Pune, of which 827 people have been discharged and 143 people have succumbed to the disease.
A total of 56,342 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in India so far. 16,540 persons have recovered or migrated, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Friday.
Air India flight with 182 Indians from Bahrain arrive at Cochin International Airport
Around 182 Indian nationals arrived at Cochin International Airport on Friday on a special flight from Bahrain's Manama. "As part of the repatriation operations, Air India flight IX 474 carrying 152 passengers, 25 children and 5 infants from Bahrain safely landed at the Cochin International Airport on Friday, the second day of the Vande Bharat evacuation mission," according to an official statement.
COVID-19 Lockdown: Haryana to send back stranded migrant workers through 100 Special Shramik trains, 5,000 buses
The Haryana government has decided to send migrant labourers keen to go back to their native states amid the extended lockdown through 5,000 buses and 100 trains. The state government will bear the entire cost of transportation.
An official release said that migrant labourers to Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Eastern Uttar Pradesh will be sent through 100 Special Shramik Trains and workers belonging to Western Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand will be sent by 5,000 buses.
The spokesperson also said that every stranded migrant worker will be sent to his home state.
Delhi Government Issues Orders For Smooth Functioning Of Economic Activities Permitted During Lockdown
The Delhi government on Friday issued orders directing all the district magistrates and deputy commissioners of police to ensure smooth running of all economic activities permitted during the lockdown.
Chief Secretary Vijay Dev issued the order in view of complaints that some government agencies and resident welfare associations were obstructing the Delhi government orders. The issue was raised by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in a note to Mr Dev on Wednesday.
9 more die of COVID-19 in West Bengal, toll rises to 88: State government
With 130 new cases West Bengal witnessed the highest single-day spike in coronavirus cases, while nine more people died of the respiratory infection in the last 24 hours taking the toll in the state to 88, the health department said on Friday.
The second highest single-day increase of 112 was two days ago. Of the nine fatalities, eight were from Kolkata and one from neighbouring Howrah.
The Union Health Ministry has, however, put the death toll at 151. The state health department has attributed 72 deaths to comorbidity.
COVID-19: Around 90 stranded migrant workers staying around Talkatora Road amid lockdown
Around 177 Indian nationals have arrived at Cochin International Airport from Bahrain
Record single-day spike of 21 cases push Jharkhand COVID-19 tally to 153
Jharkhand on Friday reported its highest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases with 21 people testing positive, taking the total number of infections to 153 in the state, officials said.
Of the total 455 swab samples tested during the day, 21 tested positive for COVID-19, said the Director of the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Dr DK Singh. He said 25 more people recovered from the infection, bringing the total number of cured people in the state to 77.
The officials did not provide any details of the 21 people who tested positive for COVID-19 in the state on Friday.
COVID-19: 698 Indians stranded in Maldives sail back home under ''Operation Samudra Setu''
A total of 698 Indian nationals stranded in the Maldives due to the COVID-19 linked international travel restrictions were evacuated on Friday from the scenic island nation on an Indian Navy warship.
"Op #SamudraSetu. #INSJalashwa set sail from #Male, #Maldives tonight bringing back 698 of our citizens," the spokesperson of the Indian Navy tweeted.
"Bon Voyage! #INSJalashwa departs from Male port for Kochi with 698 Indian nationals on board," the Indian High Commission in Maldives tweeted.
AIIMS Director to advise Gujarat doctors on Covid-19 treatment
AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria and Dr Manish Sureja have left for Ahmedabad by a special Indian Air Force (IAF) flight as per instructions issued by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to visit Civil Hospital and SVP hospital in Gujarat and to give expert advice to doctors on COVID-19 treatment.
"Our director Dr Randeep Guleria and Dr Manish Suneja have left for Ahmedabad by special IAF flight after the instruction by the union home minister. The AIIMS experts team will visit Civil Hospital and SVP hospital to guide doctors on treatment being given to the Covid-19 patients," a top official from AIIMS confirmed news agency ANI.
Uttarakhand police donates Rs 3 crore to CM relief fund to fight coronavirus
Uttarakhand Police on Friday donated Rs 3 crore to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to help in the fight against coronavirus in the state.
Anil Raturi, Director General of Police, Uttarakhand, along with Ashok Kumar, Director General, (Law and Order) and Constable Mukesh Joshi presented the cheque to Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat in his office. This amount has been collected with contribution from gazetted officers and non-gazetted personnel.
Coronavirus Lockdown: Second Shramik Special train from Delhi leaves for Bihar
The second Shramik Special train from the national capital left for Bihar's Muzzafarpur on Friday with 1,200 stranded migrant workers on board, official said.
The workers were ferried to the New Delhi Railway station mostly in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses, and in some cases in police vans from shelters homes run by the city government. "The second Shramik Special train has left Delhi for Muzzafarpur. This train is carrying 1,200 passengers," Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot tweeted.
COVID-19: 8-month-old among 24 fresh COVID-19 cases in Bihar
A boy from Nepal and an eight-month-old girl were among 24 people who tested positive for COVID-19 in Bihar on Friday, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 574 in the state, a top Health department official said.
Migrants comprised a significant proportion of those testing positive on the day which marked the contagion spreading to Khagaria, Saharsa and Supaul districts, leaving only two of the states 38 districts unaffected.
According to Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar, Samastipur reported the maximum number of six cases, all of them men aged between 35 and 50 and hailing from two different blocks under Rosera sub-division.
11 New Coronavirus Cases Found In Pune Disrict, 9 DeathsPune district reported 111 new coronavirus patients since previous evening, taking the number of cases to 2,572 on Friday, health officials said.
The death count due to the pandemic in the district reached 143 with nine patients succumbing to the infection on Friday.
"Of the 111 new cases, 92 were found in the Pune Municipal Corporation limits, which now has 2,247 patients," said an official.
"Five cases were found in Pimpri-Chinchwad where the number of cases now stands at 159 and rest in rural areas," he added, news agency PTI reported.
Lockdown: Delhi Police Receive 801 Calls In 24 Hours Seeking HelpThe Delhi Police received 801 calls on their helpline number within a period of 24 hours till Friday afternoon on issues related to the lockdown, officials said.
A total of 40,176 phone calls have been received by the city police so far on its 24x7 helpline number 011-23469526 for assistance in resolving issues being faced by people due to the lockdown, they said.
Police received 801 calls from Thursday 2 pm to Friday 2 pm.
Out of these, 85 calls were related to areas outside the national capital which were referred to the respective state helpline numbers.
Two calls were regarding having no food or money and were forwarded to NGOs for direct relief at their addresses, the police said, adding that 444 calls were related to movement passes, news agency PTI reported.
30 new positive cases (Kashmir division) reported today in J&K today, taking the total number of cases to 823: Government of Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir
152 new COVID-19 positive cases reported in the state today; the total number of cases in the state is now 3579, death toll 103: Rajasthan Health Department
COVID-19 news: With 51 new cases, Odisha's tally jumps to 270
Odisha toay reported the biggest single-day spike in coronavirus cases with 51 people testing positive for COVID-19, a majority of whom returned from Gujarat, taking the total tally in the state to 270, the health department said.
Of the fresh cases, 50 had returned from Surat in Gujarat while one came from Kerala. Forty-three of the new cases were reported from Ganjam whose tally has now climbed to 71, the highest in the state. Five were from Kendrapara and three from Bhadrak, according to news agency PTI.
Another person, who tested positive in Bhubaneswar, is counted as a patient of Maharashtra. He is a truck driver from Mumbai who met with a road accident in Odisha, the government said in a statement.
The 42-year-old man was admitted at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, and later tested positive for COVID-19, it said.
The number of active cases in Odisha now stands at 205 with recovery of 63 patients. Two persons from Bhubaneswar have died of the infection while 298 people are in hospital isolation.
COVID-19: Four test positive in Himachal Pradesh, tally rises to 51
Four people, including a two-year-old girl, tested positive for novel coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh on Friday, bringing the total number of cases to 51 in the state, officials said.
A woman from Amb in Una district has tested positive, a district official said.
She had returned from Delhi a few days ago and was kept in institutional quarantine, he added, according to news agency PTI.
In Chamba, Deputy Commissioner Vivek Bhatia told PTI a two-year-old girl tested positive on Friday. Her father, a driver, had tested COVID-19 positive on Wednesday, the DC said.
The official said she will be admitted to RPGMC in Kangra for treatment.
The driver from Khad Jota panchayat in Salooni subdivision had a recent travel history to Baddi in Solan district. Samples of all his contacts except that of his daughter tested negative, the DC added.
A person from Kangra district has tested positive at Tanda's Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC), Kangra Superintendent of Police Vimukt Ranjan said.
Coronavirus: Lockdown-hit industry demands suspension of labour laws for 2-3 yers
Employers' associations on Friday demanded suspension of labour laws barring some key provisions across the country for next two-three years to help the industry come out of the crisis induced by the lockdown to combat COVID-19 pandemic.
Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar on Friday held a webinar with employers' bodies such as CII, Ficci and Assocham to discuss issues like restarting economic activities, job creation and measures to improve the situation of MSMEs to enable them to discharge their liabilities under labour laws.
The industry bodies suggested a slew of measures and sought relaxations such as increasing working hours to 12 hours per day from the existing 8 hours per day to help them revive operations, according to a release by the Labour Ministry.
The release said the industry associations suggested "to suspend the labour laws for the next 2-3 years except for provisions like minimum wages, bonus and statutory dues, to help the industry come out of the present crisis", reported news agency PTI.
The suggestion follows the Uttar Pradesh government's move to bring an ordinance on Thursday to suspend all labour laws barring some provisions for the next three years to give relief to the industry hit by the existing lockdown.
Coronavirus: India sending medicines to 25 African countries
India is dispatching medicines to more than 25 African countries as part of assistance for them to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.
It said medicines included hydroxychloroquine, paracetamol and other drugs which are immediately required to fight the pandemic, news agency PTI reported.
"These medicines are expected to complement the national efforts of the various countries in Africa to combat the pandemic," the MEA said in a statement.
On April 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and conveyed to him India's "full support" to the African continent in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
Ramaphosa also heads the African Union, a continental body comprising 55 African nations.
COVID-19 cases in Gujarat's Ahmedabad jump to 5,260
The number of COVID-19 patients in Ahmedabad district of Gujarat surged to 5,260 on Friday with the detection of 269 cases in the last 24 hours, an official said.
With the death of as many as 22 patients, the number of persons who died due to the infection rose to 343, the official said.
"As many as 22 persons, who were receiving treatment at different hospitals in the city, succumbed to the infection in the last 24 hours," Principal Secretary, Health, Jayanti Ravi said.
The 5,260 cases found in Ahmedabad district alone form the biggest chunk of the total 7,403 cases reported in Gujarat so far.
COVID-19: One more death, 22 new cases in Haryana
Haryana on Friday reported one more coronavirus-related death and 22 fresh infections, nine of them from Gurgaon, pushing the number of cases to 647 in the state, officials said.
The death of the 28-year-old man, stated to be a tuberculosis patient, was second from Panipat district and eight coronavirus-related fatality in Haryana, the officials said.
A 25-year-old coronavirus positive man from the district died on Wednesday, they said.
Among the fresh COVID-19 cases, Gurgaon reported nine, Faridabad four, Sonipat two, Jhajjar one, Panipat one, Jind three and Fatehabad two cases, according to the state health department''s medical bulletin.
Gurgaon now has 126 cumulative cases, 75 of which are active, the bulletin said.
Total COVID-19 active cases in Haryana stand at 360 and 279 people have so far been discharged from hospitals after recovery from the infection.
Haryana has now tested nearly 50,000 samples, out of which 43,974 have been found negative while reports of over 5,000 are still awaited.
Coronavirus news: Special trains resume from Bengaluru ferrying over 3500 migrant workers
After a three-day stoppage, the Shramik special train services resumed on Friday ferrying over 3,500 migrant labourers stranded in Bengaluru to their home states.
The resumption of train services from the state led to a rush among migrant labourers in Mangaluru too with hundreds of workers staging a protest in front of the central railway station there demanding that they be sent home, according to news agency PTI.
Three trains -- two bound for Lucknow, capital city of Uttar Pradesh, and one for Danapur in Bihar, commenced their journey today,the South Western Railways (SWR) said.
"Today, the Shramik Special to Lucknow departed at 4.25 pm from Chikkabanavara station with 1,200 passengers on board, second one left Malur at 5.45 pm carrying 1,200 adults and seven children to Danapur (Bihar) and the third train to Lucknow departed from Malur at 7.55 pm with 1,198 passengers on board," the SWR said in a statement.
Coronavirus news: COVID-19 cases in Assam rise to 56
The total number of coronavirus cases in Assam rose to 56 with three persons testing positive for the disease on Friday and the test report of a 16-year-old girl confirmed the infection after her death, Health minister Himanta Biswas Sarma said.
The three persons had returned from Rajasthan. The girl was suffering from fever and a pain in her leg. When her condition deteriorated, she was admitted to B Barooah Cancer Hospital on Thursday where she died later, the minister said at a press conference, according to news agency PTI.
Her sample, taken for COVID-19 testing, and was found to be positive. It is "very unfortunate as she did not get the necessary treatment", he said.
"We will have to discuss with the Union Health Ministry whether we can declare that she died due to COVID-19 as we did not treat her for the disease. She was found to be positive after her death," Sarma said.
Vaccine, therapeutic drug development for COVID-19 going on: Defence research body
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is working on vaccine and therapeutic drugs, while also making sanitiser, special masks and protective gear to combat COVID-19, its chairman G Satheesh Reddy said.
Mr Reddy said the DRDO, a government agency charged with the military's research and development, has made and distributed over five lakh bottles of sanitiser so far and was producing 30,000 masks daily and the capacity would go up to 60,000 soon, reported news agency PTI.
The DRDO is making special N-99 masks, besides personal protective gear for chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear-related activities, and working on software, including one that will track people under quarantine.
He shared the various initiatives and activities being conducted by the DRDO to tackle the spread of COVID-19 during a video conference with a private university in Noida on Thursday.
COVID-19: Priyanka Gandhi sends 1 lakh masks to Uttar Pradesh
Amid the nationwide lockdown in the wake of COVID-19, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has sent one lakh masks to Lucknow to deal with the crisis.
Uttar Pradesh Congress media coordinator Lalan Kumar said that state party workers will start distributing masks from Saturday, reported news agency ANI.
He also informed that the party has provided cooked meal and ration to around 47 lakh people in the state.
Coronavirus: Three men die of COVID-19, new positive cases in Tamil Nadu rise to 6,009
Three men died of COVID-19 and as many as 600 people tested positive for coronavirus on Friday, taking the aggregate number of cases in Tamil Nadu to 6,009, Health Minister C Vijayabaskar said.
Following the three deaths, the number of fatalities in the state has risen to 40.
Two men -a 78-year old and another 56-year-old-and a 83-year-old man died of COVID-19 at government hospitals on Thursday, the Minister said, adding they had co-morbid conditions, reported news agency PTI.
The octogenarian died at Tirunelveli and the other two men in Chennai.
COVID-19 news: Mobile laundry van deployed to ensure personal hygiene at quarantine centres in Kathua
Authorities have deployed a mobile laundry van to ensure people lodged at COVID-19 quarantine centres in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir get clean cloths, bed sheets, blankets and pillow covers, officials said on Friday.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has been working tirelessly to contain the spread of COVID-19 and at the same time to minimise the impact of the ongoing lockdown on the most vulnerable people, they said, according to news agency PTI.
Kathua, which is the entry point into Jammu and Kashmir, houses the largest number of over 10,000 people in administrative quarantine facilities.
"To lessen their woes, the district administration came up with an innovative idea of deploying a mobile laundry -- a dedicated vehicle equipped with washing machines -- for providing free washing of cloths to the inmates at their respective quarantine centres on turn by turn basis," a senior district officer said.
The idea was to enable inmates to stay with clean cloths, bed sheets, blankets and pillow covers, maintain good personal hygiene and also feel relieved of the work of washing their belongings during their stay, he said.
COVID-19 deaths rise to 41 in Andhra Pradesh; 54 fresh cases take number to 1,887
The growing number of coronavirus cases outside the hotspots has become a cause for concern as 54 more people tested positive in the last 24 hours, while three COVID-19 deaths were reported in Andhra Pradesh on Friday.
The total number of coronavirus positive cases has reached 1,887.
With 62 patients discharged in the last 24 hours ending 9 am on Friday, the total number of those fully recovered increased to 842, leaving 1,004 active cases, the latest COVID-19 bulletin said, reported news agency PTI.
Anantapuramu recorded 16 fresh cases, taking the district tally to 99, Visakhapatnam added 11 (total 57) and West Godavari 9 (total 68). Chittoor district added three new cases while Vizianagaram the green district that turned orange on Thursday reported one more case, taking its count to four.
The three major hotspots, Kurnool, Guntur and Krishna, registered seven, one and six fresh cases, taking their respective tally to 547, 374 and 322.
COVID-19 news: Health Ministry officials hold review meeting in Andhra Pradesh
Union Health Ministry officials held a meeting with Special Chief Secretary KS Jawahar Reddy to review the COVID-19 situation in Andhra Pradesh.
In the meeting, the officials inquired about the spread of virus in the state and prevailing conditions. Medical and Health Department commissioner Katamaneni Bhaskar presented the details of the situation during the meeting.
The Health Ministry officials, who reached the state on Friday, will visit Guntur and Kurnool districts on Saturday as they are among most affected areas of the state.
Coronavirus: Stopping spread from urban to rural areas key to winning COVID-19 battle, says health expert
Preventing the spread of the coronavirus from urban to rural areas where majority of the population live will be a key in the country's battle against the COVID-19, a prominent health expert said on Friday.
As people start easing back into their normal lives, they should continue with the practice of social distancing, wearing of face masks and hand hygiene to contain the spread,
President of Public Health Foundation of India Prof. K Srinath Reddy said.
"One of the important things is to try and reduce as much as possible flow of traffic between urban and rural areas, between hotspots and non-hotspots, at least till the hotspots are under control because rural areas are much protected even now in any state, he said.
PHFI is engaged in capacity building in public health in the country through education, training, research, policy development, health communication and advocacy. There was less likelihood of the spread in rural areas as people there generally have less mobility, Reddy, who formerly headed the Department of Cardiology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), told PTI in an interview.
Coronavirus news: Uttarakhand reports 1 more case, tally 62
One more case of coronavirus was reported in the state on Friday, taking the tally to 62, informed Uttarakhand State Control Room COVID-19.
The sample was tested positive at AIIMS, Rishikesh Laboratory.
So far, the state has received a total of 8547 samples for coronavirus testing, out of which 8485 have been found negative.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday informed that there are 216 districts where no COVID-19 cases have been detected, and the recovery percentage is now 29.36.
Coronavirus news: Urge centre to declare COVID-19 national disaster, say Karnataka opposition parties
Demanding that COVID-19 be declared a national disaster, opposition parties in Karnataka on Friday asked the state government to pressurise the Centre to provide it a Rs 50,000 crore pecial economic package to help those in distress due to the lockdown induced by the pandemic.
Raising questions about the Centre not giving Karnataka's share of PM CARES fund, leader of the opposition in the assembly, Siddaramaiah, urged the state to seek central aid to take steps aimed at increasing people's purchasing power, reported news agency PTI.
A delegation of leaders of opposition parties and farmers organisations, headed by Siddaramaiah, met Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to discuss about COVID-19 and effect of the lockdown on the working class and also measures that can be taken to mitigate their distress.
Stating that people from various strata of society had met him and shared their concerns and it was his duty as the LoP to bring it to the government's notice, he said the situation would not have deteriorated had the centre taken adequate precautionary measures before enforcing the lockdown.
He said the government should have stopped flight services much before and facilities should have been provided for migrant workers.
Coronavirus news: Three more cases in Assam, total count at 56
Three more persons have tested positive for coronavirus in Assam taking the state count to 56.
"Three more persons, who travelled in the bus from Rajasthan in which the Cachar district COVID-19 positive person travelled, have tested positive," Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a tweet.
On Thursday, a person, who had returned in a bus from Ajmer, was found to be COVID-19 positive. Earlier, four persons who had travelled in the same bus were found to have contracted the virus.
According to state health department, out of the 56 COVID-19 patients in Assam, 21 are active cases.
Thirty-four persons have been discharged after recovering from the infection and one person has succumbed to illness.
COVID-19: Karnataka should demand economic package of Rs 50,000 crore from centre, says Siddaramaiah
Former chief minister of Karnataka and Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Friday asked the state government to demand a special economic package of at least Rs 50,000 crore from the centre to deal with the coronavirus crisis.
"@CMofKarnataka should immediately demand the @PMOIndia to declare the pandemic as "National Disaster". The state government should also demand a special economic package of at least Rs 50,000 crore for the state," Siddaramaiah tweeted.
He further said: "The government should immediately release relief funds to drought-stricken taluks. The government should conduct a joint survey on the extent of the affected area due to drought and increase the compensation amount from Rs 13,500 per hectare to Rs 25,000 per hectare."
The former chief minister of the state said that the centre and state governments should release a minimum of Rs 10,000 crore to all co-operative banks and financial institutions to provide loans at zero interest to the farmers to procure seed, fertilizer, essential medicines and other equipment.
Coronavirus news: 64 new cases in Rajasthan, state tally reaches 3,491
64 more COVID-19 cases have been reported from Rajasthan, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 3,491 on Friday, informed the state Health Department.
At present, there are 1,475 active cases of COVID-19 in the state.
So far, 100 people have died due to the infection in Rajasthan.
COVID-19: India may not achieve peak in cases if people follow do's and dont's, says government
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday stated that the country may not achieve the peak in COVID-19 cases if people follow all the required dos and don'ts to keep the virus at bay.
"If we will follow required dos and don'ts, we may not achieve the peak in COVID-19 cases. There is always a possibility to witness spike in cases if we do not take the required precautions and follow processes," said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, during the media briefing on COVID-19 situation.
This comes a day after AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria stated that as per the modeling data and the way India's COVID-19 cases are increasing, it is likely that peak can come in June and July.
COVID-19 news: 74 fresh cases reported in Uttar Pradesh; total stands at 3,145
Uttar Pradesh reported 74 fresh coronavirus cases on Friday, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state to 3,145, an official said.
A total of 3,145 cases have been reported from 68 districts, of which nine have no active cases, Principal Secretary, Health, Amit Mohan Prasad said.
So far 63 deaths have been reported in the state, Mr Prasad said, adding that 1,261 people have fully recovered and have been discharged from hospitals while the number of active cases in the state is 1,821.
Mr Prasad said a decline in number of active cases has been seen in the state since May 4. He said while the national recovery percentage was 29.35 per cent, that of the state is 40.09 per cent.
Coronavirus news: Air India flight from Dhaka carrying Indian students lands in Srinagar
Air India flight from Dhaka carrying Indian students has landed in Srinagar, informed External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar.
"AI flight 1242 from Dhaka carrying Indian students just landed in Srinagar. Thank @airindiain, @MOCA_GOI, Bureau of Immigration and J&K Government for cooperation and support. Kudos to HC @rivagdas and her Team @ihcdhaka. #VandeBharatMisssion," EAM said in a tweet.
The first Air India flight of Vande Bharat Mission from Bangladesh capital Dhaka, carrying 167 stranded passengers who are all medical students, had departed for Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar on Friday afternoon.
The people had registered online and the embassy later sent them tickets through e-mail.
As coronavirus pandemic continues, repatriation is being carried out under India's massive evacuation effort named ''Vande Bharat Mission'', which began on Thursday.
COVID-19 news: Over 98,000 cases of lockdown violations registered in Maharashtra
Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Friday said as many as 98,774 cases were registered and 19,082 persons were arrested for violating prohibitory orders during the COVID-19 lockdown in the state.
At least 98,774 offences were registered under section 188 (disobeying an order passed by a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code, the minister said.
As many as 557 police personnel, including 62 officers, had tested positive for coronavirus in the state, he said.
Nearly 190 incidents of assault on police personnel were reported at various police stations in the state, while 686 persons were arrested in these cases, he said.
No new COVID-19 case reported from 42 districts in 28 days: Centre
"No new COVID-19 case reported from 42 districts in 28 days, no new cases in 29 districts in last 21 days," said the Union Health Ministry
COVID-19 news: Fourth day in a row, no new case in Uttarakhand
No new positive case of coronavirus has been reported in Uttarakhand today till 2 pm, for the fourth consecutive day, informed the state health department.
The total number of positive cases of coronavirus in the state stands at 61 with only one death.
At present, there are only 15 active COVID-19 cases in the state.
COVID-19: Avoid humiliating lockdown violators, Bombay High Court tells Nagpur police
The end does not necessarily justify the means, the Bombay High Court said on Friday while directing the city police chief to ensure no person is made to face any unusual or humiliating punishment by his force for violating norms related to the coronavirus-enforced lockdown.
Justice R B Deo, of the Nagpur bench of the HC, made the observation while hearing a petition filed city resident Sandip Nair, raising concerns over the manner in which the local police force had been implementing the lockdown. The petition contended that while the police force is, by and large, discharging its duties in an exemplary manner, there are several instances which would be a "blot" on the police machinery.
The petitioner pointed out instances where lockdown violators, including senior citizens and women, have been made to hold placards with messages like "they are an enemy to the society and humanity".
We have to learn to live with the virus: Home Ministry Official
"We have to learn to living with the virus. It's a big challenge. We need support from communities, states and every stakeholder to fight it," said Punya Salila Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs
Over 5,000 train coaches converted as COVID care centres: Centre
"Railways has converted 5231 coaches as COVID care centres. They will be placed on 215 identified stations&will be used for treatment of mild&very mild cases while ensuring that different coaches are designated for suspected & confirmed cases," said Lav Agrawal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry
COVID-19 Recovery Rate Is Now 29.36%: Centre
"In the last 24 hours, there were 3390 new COVID19 positive cases and 1273 recoveries. The recovery percentage is now 29.36%. Till now, 16,540 patients have been cured and 37,916 patients are under active medical supervision," said Lav Agrawal, Jt Secy, Health Ministry
2.5 Lakh Stranded People Have Used 222 Shramik Trains So Far: Centre
"Railways has run 222 Shramik Special Trains for movement of stranded persons, more than 2.5 lakh people have made use of this facility so far," said Punya Salila Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs
Coronavirus news: PIL in Delhi High Court seeks free laptop, phones to poor children for online classes during lockdown
The Delhi High Court Friday asked the Centre and the AAP government to respond to a PIL seeking directions to them to provide free laptops, tablets or mobile phones to poor kids so that they can access classes online during the COVID-19 lockdown.
A bench of Justices Manmohan and Sanjeev Narula issued notices to the Centre, the Delhi government, the municipal corporations and 10 private unaided schools here seeking their stand on the plea by an NGO, Justice for All, by June 10 -- the next date of hearing.
In its plea filed through advocate Khagesh Jha, the NGO has contended that the private unaided schools' decision to conduct classes via video conferencing would affect over 50,000 students belonging to the economically weaker sections (EWS) and cannot afford laptops, phones and high-speed internet service to attend the classes.
COVID-19: Over 700 Indians stranded in Maldives set to sail back home under ''Operation Samudra Setu''
India on Friday began evacuating over 700 of its citizens by sea from the Maldives who were stranded in the scenic island due to the COVID-19 linked international travel restrictions.
The INS Jalashwa, the Indian Navy's amphibious warship, reached Male on Thursday to undertake the massive repatriation mission named ''Operation Samudra Setu'', the High Commission of India in Maldives said.
The first Naval ship from Male is expected to arrive at the Cochin Port on May 10, Port Trust officials in Kochi said.
The INS Jalashwa is part of the repatriation mission launched by the Indian Navy to bring Indian citizens home from foreign shores, the Indian Navy said in a statement.
"It is a very great thing that the High Commission did for us and we did not have any issues till now. We got everything with proper guidelines, all the things done by the High Commission," Pradeep, who hails from Palakkad, said. He works in a resort in Male.
Coronavirus: Shramik Express train with 1,200 migrant labourers leaves for Gwalior from Goa
A Shramik Express train with 1,200 migrant labourers from Madhya Pradesh departed for Gwalior from Goa's Thivim railway station on Friday.
The labourers were brought to the Thivim railway station from two stadiums, one each in North and South Goa, by buses. More than 80,000 migrant labourers have registered themselves with the state government to return to their home states.
"The train left from Thivim Railway station around 12.30 pm with 1,200 migrant labourers on it," Kunal, an officer in charge of inter-state migrant cell told ANI.
The train will reach Gwalior on Saturday morning, he added.
Coronavirus India Lockdown: Haryana Decides To Extend Parole Granted To Prisoners By 6 WeeksThe Haryana government has decided to extend by another six weeks the duration of parole or interim bail granted to convicted prisoners in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As many as 3,817 prisoners were released last month on interim or regular bail, parole or extended parole. The state government decided to release convicted prisoners with up to seven years of sentence and undertrials liable to get as long jail terms on conviction.
Foreign prisoners, however, are not included in this. Also, prisoners convicted in cases like drug smuggling, rape, acid attack are not among those released.
"The decision to release the prisoners had been taken in accordance with the Supreme Court''s directive to decongest crowded prisons to prevent them from becoming fertile ground for spread of the coronavirus," Jails Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala said.
A high-powered committee under Justice Rajiv Sharma of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and comprising Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Haryana, Vijai Vardhan and DGP (prisons) K Selvraj in its recommendation had on May 5 stated "readmitting around 4,000 prisoners released on parole or interim bail back into the jails at this stage is a huge risk".
The committee was formed on the directive of the Supreme Court, dated March 23, which passed the order for decongesting prisons in view of the pandemic, news agency PTI reported.
COVID-19 Updates: 24 BSF personnel test positive in Tripura; state tally reaches 88
Twenty-Four jawans of the Border Security Force have tested positive for COVID-19 in Tipura, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said today. The northeastern state now has 88 cases, he said.
All the cases have been reported from the Border Security Force, Mr Deb said.
"ALERT 24 persons from 86th-Bn BSF Ambassa found COVID-19 POSITIVE. Total COVID-19 patients in Tripura now stands: 88 total cases, active cases: 86, discharged: 02. There is no POSITIVE case among civilians. Stay Safe," he has tweeted.
View Of Living Quarters For Indians In Warship INS Jalashwa Bringing Them Home From MaldivesA camera pans to a neatly kept bed before moving across to a walkaway with bunk beds on either side. A number of people, dressed in a blue uniform, are seen preparing the beds and placing a bottle of water along with a tray of what seemed to be fruits. The 44-second video taken on board INS Jalashwa gives an insight of the living quarter where the Indian nationals will stay during their journey from Maldives to Kochi, where they will disembark.Another video from inside the warship shows a man in a protective suit sanitizing the lobby.
Coronavirus news: Karnataka CM holds all party meeting over COVID-19 situation in state
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa today held a meeting with opposition parties at his office over COVID-19 situation in the state.
Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Congress leaders SR Patil and DK Shivakumar participated in the meeting. From Janata Dal (Secular), former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and HD Revanna were present.
"Congress legislative party leader Siddaramaiah and DK Shivkumar have arranged the Chief Minister to request the central government to announce a special package of Rs 50,000 crore to Karnataka to fight coronavirus and also special packages requested for small and medium scale industries," said Siddaramaiah''s media secretary.
Coronavirus India Lockdown: Air India's Flight Carrying Indians From Singapore Arrives In Delhi
Air India's first flight that took off from Singapore carrying stranded Indian nationals onboard landed at the Delhi Airport on Friday afternoon.
"Seeing people coming home is the best feeling for #DelhiAirport. Here''s a glimpse of the first Evacuation flight AI381 to #Delhi that landed a short while ago from @ChangiAirport. #VandeBharatMission," tweeted Delhi Airport handle.
Operating under the government''s massive Vande Bharat Mission, the flight left New Delhi at around 11:20 pm on Thursday. One passenger also boarded the Singapore-bound plane. (Read full story
here)
COVID-19 Updates: 3 deaths, 54 new cases in Andhra Pradesh in 24 hoursFifty four new cases were reported in Andhra Pradesh in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of positive cases to 1,887, news agency ANI reported. Three COVID-19 deaths were also reported in the state during this period, it said.
As many as 7,320 samples were tested in Andhra Pradesh in the past 24 hours. Of them, 54 were detected to be corona positive. 26 of them are Gujarat returnees and one person is Karnataka returnee. With this, the total number of cases increased to 1,887. Of them, active cases are 1,004.
Covid-19 Updates: First Shramik train from Goa leaves for MP
A Shramik Special train from Goa with 1,200 migrants left for Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior city this morning, news agency PTI reported.
The Railways has been running special trains for migrants who were left stranded in major cities of the country due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
"A Shramik Special train, carrying 1,200 migrants, left Thivim station at around 11 am," said Kunal (prefers not to use his surname), an officer in charge of the inter-state migrant cell.
Coronavirus news: Indian-origin father-daughter doctor duo die of COVID-19 in US
An Indian-American father and daughter, both doctors in New Jersey, have died due to the COVID-19, reported news agency PTI.
Satyender Dev Khanna, 78, was a surgeon who served both on staff and as the head of the surgical departments for multiple hospitals across New Jersey for decades.
Priya Khanna, 43, was a double board certified in both internal medicine and nephrology. She was Chief of Residents at Union Hospital, now part of RWJ Barnabas Health.
"Dr. Satyender Dev Khanna and Dr. Priya Khanna were father and daughter. They both dedicated their lives to helping others. This is a family dedicated to health and medicine. Our words cannot amply express our condolences," New Jersey Governor Murphy tweeted on Thursday.
3,390 Coronavirus Cases, 103 Deaths In 24 Hours, Total Cases In India Cross 56,300
India has reported 3,390 new coronavirus cases and 103 in the past 24 hours, according government data released this morning, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 56,342 and deaths to 1,886. The recovery rate is 29.35 per cent with 1,273 - a record number - having been successfully treated in 24 hours. Overall 16,540 people have been discharged from hospitals after receiving treatment. On Thursday national capital Delhi recorded 448 new cases - its biggest single-day spike - and one death in a 24-hour period, taking total cases to 5,980 and deaths to 66. The recovery rate in the city state, the third worst-hit in the country, is 32.39 per cent."
Coronavirus India Lockdown news: "No Migrant Should Return On Foot": Yogi Adityanath To Officials
No migrant labourer should walk back to home in Uttar Pradesh on foot from big cities like Delhi, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed the state officials on Thursday amid coronavirus pandemic. The state government "has been actively engaged in bringing them (migrants) back safely", a statement from Chief Minister's office read.
The Chief Minister's directions to state officials to make arrangements for migrant labourers and their families come as many of these labourers - young and old - and their children continue to cover journey of hundreds of kilometres on foot as the lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus continues. (Read full story
here)
Coronavirus news: Journalist Dies Of COVID-19 In Agra
A journalist who was tested COVID-19 positive and was admitted in SN Medical College has died.
"A journalist, who had tested positive for #COVID19 and was admitted at the isolation ward of SN Medical College, has died. He was on ventilator since Wednesday," Prabhu N Singh, Agra District Magistrate, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Coronavirus news: Navy's PPE clears certification by INMASPersonal Protective Equipment (PPE), designed and produced by Indian Navy, has been tested by Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) Delhi, a DRDO organization tasked with the testing and certification of PPE, and has been certified to be mass-produced and used in clinical COVID situations.
A Defence Ministry release said that the Indian Navy has risen to this challenge of making available this critical resource in the fight against COVID-19.
A team formed by the Innovation Cell, Institute of Naval Medicine, Mumbai and the Naval Dockyard Mumbai collaborated to design and produce PPE.
"The PPE has been tested by INMAS Delhi. It has been passed with 6/6 synthetic blood penetration resistance test pressure," the release said.
Just In: 3,390 coronavirus cases, 103 deaths in India in 24 hours, total cases over 56,300
COVID-19: Jammu and Kashmir to bear train cost of its people stuck in other states amid lockdown
The train cost of people of Jammu and Kashmir who are stuck in other states due to lockdown will be taken care of, said Home Department, Government of Jammu and Kashmir.
"Train services are being arranged for stranded persons of J&K, particularly from far off places. The government has decided to bear the cost of tickets, the returnees will not need to make any payments for their return journey by train," read an official statement.
Coronavirus Kerala: Five Gulf evacuees sent to isolation ward after they show COVID-19 symptoms
Five people, who were among 181 individuals evacuated from Abu Dhabi, have been sent to the isolation ward of a district hospital after they displayed symptoms of coronavirus during thermal screening.
The first repatriation Air India Express flight with 181 individuals from Abu Dhabi landed at Cochin International Airport on Thursday. Among the returnees, 49 women were pregnant and four were children. They have been home-quarantine. The rest have been taken to quarantine centres in their respective districts.
The Air India Express flight IX452 to Kochi with 177 passengers and four infants took off from Abu Dhabi International Airport and touched down at Kochi post 10 pm.
Hospital staff protests outside Red Zone residential society amid blame-game on COVID-19 infection
Over three dozen staffers of the Felix Hospital in Sector 137 protested in the evening outside the Ajnara Daffodil, where a 41-year-old female resident was detected with the novel coronavirus infection on May 5, according to an official report.
A representative of the society, however, said it was "not desirable" for health care workers to assemble in that manner knowing well that the sector is a containment zone and the matter could have been resolved amicably.
DK Gupta, a doctor and chairman of Felix Hospital, said two of his staff members tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday and one of them, a nurse, had come in contact with the female patient in the residential society on April 27.
Coronavirus India: Indore reports 28 new COVID-19 cases, total count reaches 1,727
As many as 28 more people test positive for coronavirus on Thursday. "With 28 new COVID-19 cases, the total number of cases in Indore has spiked to 1,727," said Dr Praveen Jadia, Chief Medical Heal Officer.
He further said that three more people have succumbed to the disease on Thursday, taking the total number of deaths here due to coronavirus to 86.
As per the latest update by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of coronavirus cases in the country stands at 52,952, including 15,267 recovered/migrated and 1,783 deaths.
Out of the 181 people brought to Cochin International Airport last night from Abu Dhabi, one passenger had some physical ailment
COVID-19 India: Second special train from Delhi to leave for Muzaffarpur on Friday with 1200 migrants
The second migrant special train from Delhi will leave for Bihar's Muzaffarpur on Friday, officials said, hours after the first Shramik Special from the New Delhi Railway Station left for Madhya Pradesh with over 1,000 workers.
The train to Muzaffarpur is expected to leave Friday evening, with 1,200 passengers who were stranded in the national capital due to the COVID-19 lockdown, officials said.
The Delhi government is also in talks with Uttar Pradesh to run special trains for migrant workers from the state who wish to return, they added.
The special train for Madhya Pradesh left at 8 pm on Thursday.
COVID-19: Jammu And Kashmir governmet scales up COVID-19 testing facilities
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has scaled up sampling and testing facilities, with over 3,000 samples and 1.000 tests on a daily basis, an official spokesperson said.
The administration has taken a combination of containment and mitigation measures to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic by carrying out contact tracing, limiting travel and quarantining citizens.
"It has scaled up its sampling and testing capabilities significantly to reduce the spread and impact of the virus," the spokesperson said.
The increased sampling and testing has become all the more important as the migrant workers and students belonging to the Union territory are returning back to their home districts, the spokesperson said.