Friday, 27 March 2020

Coronavirus Outbreak Updates: Bihar govt says six of nine COVID-19 cases in state have no travel history

23:50 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Six COVID-19 cases have no travel history: Bihar govt

Six out of the nine total coronavirus confirmed cases in Bihar have no travel history, the Bihar Health Department said on Friday.

23:44 (IST)

Coronavirus in Italy Latest Updates

Italy sees highest jump in COVID-19 deaths again

Italy on Friday saw the biggest jump in deaths due to coronavirus with 969 deaths in a day. The total number of deaths are at 9,134 in Italy.

23:44 (IST)

Coronavirus in Italy Latest Updates

Italy sees highest jump in COVID-19 deaths again

Italy on Friday saw the biggest jump in deaths due to coronavirus with 969 deaths in a day. The total number of deaths are at 9,134 in Italy.

23:31 (IST)

Coronavirus in US Latest Updates

Nancy Pelosi says US facing emergency of 'historic proportions'

The House approved the sweeping measure by a voice vote, as strong majorities of both parties lined up behind the most colossal economic relief bill in the nation’s history. It will ship payments of up to $1,200 to millions of Americans, bolster unemployment benefits, offer loans, grants and tax breaks to businesses large and small and flush billions more to states, local governments and the nation’s all but overwhelmed health care system.

“Today we’ve all acknowledged our nation faces an economic and health emergency of historic proportions,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

US president Donald Trump said he would sign the bill immediately.

(AP)

23:21 (IST)

Coronavirus in US Latest Updates

US House approves $2 trillion package for COVID-19

The US House of Representatives on Friday approved a $2 trillion "response stimulus package" to fight coronavirus, CNN reported. "The far-reaching legislation stands as the largest emergency aid package in US history. It injects a massive financial boost into a struggling economy with provisions aimed at helping American workers, small businesses and industries grappling with the economic disruption," the report said.

It also quoted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as saying, "No bill is perfect, but we want to make sure that it at least comes near part of the way to being sufficient. ...already working towards a fourth coronavirus response measure. We know that this cannot be our final bill."

23:14 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

SC registry to remain shut till 15 April

The Supreme Court's Offices of Registery, with certain exceptions, will remain closed till 15 April 2020 as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 pandemic.

23:11 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Maharashtra govt asks migrants not to travel

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said, "We've seen people who were hiding in milk tankers while trying to go to their native states getting caught. Many chief ministers have requested me to take care of people from their states. We request people to stay at their place, we will take care of them."

23:00 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Kerala vegetable vendors offer home delivery services

Regional newspapers in Kerala reported that local vegetable vendors have started home delivery services, as a way to adapt to limited business amid the 21-day lockdown over coronavirus.

22:48 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates

Tech giants contribute to fight against COVID-19

"SV stepping up. Apple, Google have launched Covid websites. Facebook, Apple donating millions of masks. Salesforce gathering masks, deploying free software for healthcare. What's alarming is how much we're relying on co's in private sector to lead when federal government is failing us," said Wired reporter Lauren Goode.

22:43 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Sitaram Yechury slams Centre over plight of migrants

Sitaram Yechury on Friday slammed the Centre over the unprecedented migration that has been started by the 21-day lockdown over coronavirus.

22:33 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Migrants in Delhi walk to native towns in UP

People walking on foot in Kalindi Kunj area near Delhi-UP border towards their native places in different districts of Uttar Pradesh due to unavailability of transport services in wake of coronavirus lockdown.

22:25 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates

IMF says 'clear' that world has entered recession

IMF’s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva was quoted by Reuters as saying that ‘it is clear’ that the world has ‘entered a recession as bad or worse’ than the global financial crisis over a decade earlier.

22:08 (IST)

Coronavirus in France Latest Updates

France extends confinement measures

The French government on Friday extended the confinement measures in a bid to tackle the spread of coronavirus, the Prime Minister Edouard Phillippe said. Philippe was quoted by CNN as saying that "government-enforced restrictions on movement will continue to be in place until 15 April". 

"After 10 days of confinement, it is clear that we are only at the beginning of the epidemic wave,” Phillippe said.

22:00 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Five, including 9-month-old, COVID-19 cases reported in West Bengal

Five new coronavirus cases on Friday surfaced in West Bengal, including a 9-month-old girl. Of the five cases, two are children aged 11 and 6 and two are 27-year-old and 45-year-old women, the state health ministry said. They came in contact to a positive case in Delhi who came from UK on 16 March.

This takes total tally in state to 15, including a death.

21:52 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

25 migrants from MP stuck in Nagpur

A group of 25 migrant labourers at a bus stop in Nagpur to leave for their hometown in Madhya Pradesh amid #CornaLockdown. A labourer says,"We don't have any work now due to curfew. We're waiting for govt help in transportation as we have kids with us".

21:51 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

PIL over plight of migrants filed in SC

A public interest litigation (PIL) was reported filed in the Supreme Court on Friday "seeking food, water, shelter, medical aid and 'urgent indulgence to the plight of migrant workers and their families, including women, kids, elders and divyangs, who are walking on foot to their villages' amid lockdown," News18 reported.

21:38 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Seven COVID-19 cases reported in Rajasthan

Seven fresh coronavirus cases were reported in Rajasthan, the state health department said on Friday. The total number of positive cases are now 50 in the state.

21:33 (IST)

Coronavirus in Singapore Latest Updates

Singapore calls off Shangri-La Diaglogue

Singapore on Friday called off the Shangri-La Dialogue for the first time in its history due to the coronavirus outbreak, the top-level forum was scheduled for June, ANI reported.

21:17 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

65-yr-old COVID-19 patient dies in Mumbai

A 65-year old woman died on Friday due to the COVID-19 at Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai, the Maharashtra health ministry said. This is the fifth death in the state due to the virus. An 85-year-old doctor, a likely COVID-19 positive case, also died at a private hospital in Mumbai, the statement said.

ANI also quoted the state health ministry as saying that two relatives of the 85-year-old doctor had recently returned from England. He was a diabetic and had a pacemaker too. The diagnosis was done at a private lab, therefore, it is being verified.

21:05 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

All liquor shops shut in MP

All liquor shops in Madhya Pradesh ave been ordered to shut in the duration of the 21-day complete lockdown over the coronavirus, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said. The shut down will start from Saturday.

20:51 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Priyanka Gandhi says migrants must be supported by all parties

20:50 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates

COVID-19 cases in Latin America cross 10,000

AFP reported that coronavirus in Latin America have crossed 10,000.

20:48 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Four more cases in Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Four more test positive for COVID-19 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, total cases in UT rise to 6, PTI reported.

20:18 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Assam govt says 5 crore bottles of hand sanitiser to be supplied

Assam excise minister Parmal Suklabaidiya said that as per Assam health department's demand, around five crore bottles of 200 ml hand sanitiser will be supplied by excise factories of the state free of cost. 11 companies have started producing sanitizer in the state.

20:13 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Indian scientists reveal first microscopic image of COVID-19 virus

ANI reported that Indian scientists have revealed a microscopy image of SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID19), in the first instance of its kind. Scientists took the throat swab sample from first laboratory-confirmed COVID19 case in India, reported on 30 Jan in Kerala.

20:02 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Naveen Patnaik announces Rs 2,200 crore COVID-19 package 

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday announced a Rs 2,200-crore financial package to assist weaker sections of the society, PTI reported.

19:58 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Manish Sisodia speaks to migrants in Delhi

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Friday spoke to migrants who are stranded in the National Capital. He asked them to stay in the night shelters and said that the state government will take care of everything, AAP tweeted.

19:55 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Spraying of disinfectant starts in Mumbai

The fire brigade and the BMC have started spraying disinfectants in Mumbai, Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray said on Friday.

19:48 (IST)

Coronavirus in Italy Latest Updates

101-yr-old Italian patient recovers

A 101-year-old patient with coronavirus has recovered and been released from the hospital, CNN reported quoting the Rimini deputy mayor.

"The man, referred to as "Mr. P" in the statement, was born in 1919 — in the middle of another tragic world pandemic," the report said.

“A hope for the future of all of us in the body of a person over one hundred years old, when the sad chronicles of these weeks mechanically tell us every day of a virus that is raging especially among the elderly. Mr. P. made it. The family brought him home yesterday evening. To teach us that even at 101 years the future is not written," the statement said.

19:39 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Fresh COVID-19 case reported in Chandigarh

A fresh case of COVID-19 has been reported in Chandigarh, Manoj Parida, Chandigarh administration advisor said. "Symptoms of Coronavirus was found in the patient 15 days after their arrival from Dubai. Contact tracing underway," he said.

19:25 (IST)

Coronavirus in UK Latest Updates

UK health minister also tests positive for COVID-19

UK health minister Matt Hancock on Friday tested positive for the coronavirus soon after Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued a statement saying he had contracted the infection.

"Following medical advice, I was advised to test for coronavirus. I‘ve tested positive. Thankfully my symptoms are mild and I’m working from home and self-isolating," Haddock said.

19:08 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

E Palaniswami visits 500-bed COVID-19 hospital

Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi Palanisamy visited 500-bedded special COVID-19 ward at Government Medical College Hospital at Omandurar in Chennai. The hospital has isolation, step down wards and ventilators.

18:59 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Fresh COVID-19 cases reported in Kerala, J&K, Telangana

Fresh cases of the novel coronavirus were reported in Kerala, Telangana, and Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. Telangana chief minister KC Rao said that ten new patients were reported, taking the total cases to 59 in the state.

Meanwhile, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, "39 new COVID-19 positive cases were reported in Kerala. 34 from Kasargod, two from Kannur and one each from Thrissur, Kozhikode, and Kollam. This takes the total positive cases in the state to 176, including 12 discharged patients."

The Jammu and Kashmir government also said that the total number of COVID-19 cases in the union territory have risen to 18, with one casualty.

18:54 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

People walk to native villages in Uttar Pradesh

Huge number of people seen walking on foot toward their homes in different districts of Uttar Pradesh, at Ghazipur near Delhi-UP border in absence of transport services due to the lockdown.

18:37 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Nine more COVID-19 cases reported in Mumbai

The BMC on Friday said that nine more cases of coronavirus have been reported in Mumbai.  Five have travel history and four are close contacts. Six of them are from Mumbai and three are from other places. The total number of positive cases in the city now stands at 86.

The Indian Express reported that a Mumbai doctor who tested positive for COVID-19, passed away on Thursday night at the city's Hinduja Hospital.

"His grandson had returned from England on March 12 and was under self-quarantine, the family told civic officials. The 82-year-old developed cough four days ago and on Thursday underwent a CT scan at Saifee hospital. Upon testing, the respult was positive and the doctor was shifted to Hinduja. He passed way Friday night at 12.30 am," the report said.

18:31 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates

You're a fighter, Modi tells Boris Johnson after UK PM tests COVID-19 positive 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted to his counterpart in the UK Boris Johnson's announcement of testing positive for the novel coronavirus on Friday. He said, "Prayers for your good health and best wishes in ensuring a healthy United Kingdom."

18:28 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Kejriwal says prepared to handle rise of 1,000 cases in one day

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the state government is equipped to handle an increase of even a 1,000 coronavirus cases in a day.

He said, "Even if there is an increase of 100, 500, or 1000 cases in a single day, we are ready for it. Testing kits, ambulances, and ICU beds have been arranged. We are not saying cases will increase, we are just preparing ourselves for any eventuality."

He also addressed concerns of migrants from other states who are in the National Capital currently.

18:22 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

14 COVID-19 patients discharged in UP

Uttar Pradesh principal health secretary Amit Mohan said that out of 49 coornavirus cases in state, 14 people have been discharged. "35 patients admitted in the hospitals are in stable condition. There are eight testing labs while a new lab in Jhansi will start functioning soon," he added.

18:11 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latets Updates

Centre to clear all pending MGNREGA wages

PTI quoted officials as saying that the Centre will clear entire pending wages of Rs 11,499 crore under MGNREGA by 10 April.

18:05 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Five new COVID-19 cases reported in Punjab

Five new cases of novel coronavirus were on Friday reported in Punjab, the state health department said. Three cases are from SBS Nagar district, one from Jalandhar and one from SAS Nagar.

The statement also said that all the five patients are contacts of earlier positive cases.

Another case who was admitted in Amritsar found was negative and is cured. The total number of patients tested positive till date are 38.

18:01 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Kanika Kapoor tests positive for COVID-19 in 3rd test

Singer Kanika Kapoor has tested positive in her third the novel coronavirus test, the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences hospital was quoted as saying by ANI.

17:53 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Punjab govt making arrangements for wheat havesting

Punjab chief minister Amariner Singh said, "Proper arrangements are being put in place for wheat harvesting and the storage of potato crop in Punjab. The government will also ensure smooth procurement and release of timely payment to wheat farmers."

Meanwhile, ANI quoted wheat farmers in Amritsar as saying, "If the crop is not harvested and wheat does not reach the grain market on time, we'll will have to bear huge losses. Government should help us."

17:51 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Army says 6 hospitals to begin COVID-19 testing for defence forces soon

Officials of the Indian Army were quoted by ANI as saying that in addition to the five hospitals across the army, navy, and air force that are carrying out coronavirus tests, six additional hospitals are also being equipped with the resources to begin testing.

The officials also said, "Apart from Maldives, we are ready to dispatch Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) to Nepal for assisting them with the current COVID-19 situation. Other assistance as sought by MEA/MoD for other countries will be provided as and when required."

17:43 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Telangana govt enlists municipal bodies, DCs to provide facilities to daily wage workers

Telangana chief minister KC Rao said, "All the urban local bodies, municipal bodies and district collectors have been advised to provide all the necessary facilities to the needy, daily wage and contract workers."

While the country went into a 21-day complete lockdown two days ago, reports about daily wage workers and migrants stranded without work and sustenance have flooded the media. The Centre and state governments are making efforts to minimise the effect of the lockdown on such marginalised sections.

17:28 (IST)

Coronavirus in UK Latest Updates

I'm shaking hands continuously, said Boris Johnson days before testive positive

On 3 March, at the unveiling of the UK's action plan against the coronavirus pandemic, reports quoted UK prime minister Boris Johnson as saying that he is constantly shaking hands with people, even with coronavirus patients. On Friday, he became the first prime minister in the world to test positive for the infection.

Earlier, he had said, "I’m shaking hands continuously. I was at a hospital the other night where I think there were actually a few coronavirus patients and I shook hands with everybody, you’ll be pleased to know. I continue to shake hands. We already have a fantastic NHS, fantastic testing systems and fantastic surveillance of the spread of the disease … I want to stress that for the vast majority of the people of this country, we should be going about our business as usual.”

17:19 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Require compassionate approach to poor and weaker sections: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that a "more nuanced and compassionate approach" is required to minimise the adverse effects of the 21-day complete lockdown on the marginalised sections.

He also wrote to the Union Minister of Human Resource to ensure an uninterrupted supply of basic necessities and medical facilities to students staying in hostels & other residential facilities in different parts of India due to the lockdown.

17:07 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Centre issues national telemedicine guidelines

"We have issued national telemedicine guidelines. This facilitates the process wherein doctors sitting at their homes can provide services to the patients. We urge & request citizens to take advantage of it & doctors to utilize this," said Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secy, Union Health Ministry.

16:55 (IST)

Coronavirus in UK Latest Updates

Boris Johnson tests positive for COVID-19

UK prime minister Boris Johnson posted a video on Twitter saying that he has tested positive for the coronavirus and is self isolating.

"I have developed mild symptoms of the coronavirus, that is to say a temperature and a persistent cough. I am working from home and self isolating. But be in doubt that I can continue leading the fight against coronavirus via video conferencing," he said.

16:39 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

1.4 lakh companies have asked employees to work from home, says Centre

Lav Aggarwal, joint secretary of the health ministry, said that around 1.4 lakh companies have asked their employees to work from home on the government's appeal, adding, "President Ramnath Kovind also has  interacted  with all state Governoers to combat  with Covid19 situation through video conference."

16:31 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

30,000 ventilators to be purchased, says Centre

The health ministry, in the daily briefing said, "We have given an order to a PSU to provide 10,000 ventilators. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has also been requested to purchase 30,000 additional ventilators in 1-2 months."

The ministry also said that till now 724 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed, total deaths stand at 17. In the last 24 hours, 75 new positive cases and 4 deaths have been reported.

Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST updates: Six out of the nine total coronavirus confirmed cases in Bihar have no travel history, the Bihar Health Department said on Friday.

IMF’s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva was quoted by Reuters as saying that ‘it is clear’ that the world has ‘entered a recession as bad or worse’ than the global financial crisis over a decade earlier.

Singapore on Friday called off the Shangri-La Dialogue for the first time in its history due to the coronavirus outbreak, the top-level forum was scheduled for June, ANI reported.

A 65-year old woman died on Friday due to the COVID-19 at Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai, the Maharashtra health ministry said. This is the fifth death in the state due to the virus. An 85-year-old doctor, a likely COVID-19 positive case, also died at a private hospital in Mumbai, the statement said.

Assam excise minister Parmal Suklabaidiya said that as per Assam health department's demand, around five crore bottles of 200 ml hand sanitiser will be supplied by excise factories of the state free of cost. 11 companies have started producing sanitizer in the state.

UK health minister Matt Hancock on Friday tested positive for the coronavirus soon after Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued a statement saying he had contracted the infection.

"Following medical advice, I was advised to test for coronavirus. I‘ve tested positive. Thankfully my symptoms are mild and I’m working from home and self-isolating," Haddock said.

The BMC on Friday said that nine more cases of coronavirus have been reported in Mumbai. Five have travel history and four are close contacts. Six of them are from Mumbai and three are from other places. The total number of positive cases in the city now stands at 86.

PTI quoted officials as saying that the Centre will clear entire pending wages of Rs 11,499 crore under MGNREGA by 10 April.

On 3 March, at the unveiling of the UK's action plan against the coronavirus pandemic, reports quoted UK prime minister Boris Johnson as saying that he is constantly shaking hands with people, even with coronavirus patients. On Friday, he became the first prime minister in the world to test positive for the infection.

Earlier, he had said, "I’m shaking hands continuously. I was at a hospital the other night where I think there were actually a few coronavirus patients and I shook hands with everybody, you’ll be pleased to know. I continue to shake hands. We already have a fantastic NHS, fantastic testing systems and fantastic surveillance of the spread of the disease … I want to stress that for the vast majority of the people of this country, we should be going about our business as usual.”

UK prime minister Boris Johnson posted a video on Twitter saying that he has tested positive for the coronavirus and is self isolating.

"I have developed mild symptoms of the coronavirus, that is to say a temperature and a persistent cough. I am working from home and self isolating. But be in doubt that I can continue leading the fight against coronavirus via video conferencing," he said.

Twelve more people (contacts of earlier positive cases) have tested positive for coronavirus in Maharashtra's Sangli district, ANI reported on Friday. The state has a total of 147 positive cases, the public health department said.

Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba has told state governments to step up the surveillance of international passengers who reached India before the government banned commercial flights from abroad from landing in the country.

Gauba, the country’s senior-most bureaucrat, said there was a gap in the number of passengers who should have been monitored and the actual number.

"This may seriously jeopardise our efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, given that many amongst the people who have tested positive so far in India have a history of international travel,” the Cabinet Secretary said in a letter to all chief secretaries on Thursday.

Tamil Nadu on Friday reported six new coronavirus cases, taking the state's total tally of confirmed cases to 35.

According to Pradip Das, Director of Rajendra Memorial Research Institute here, an ICMR centre, test reports of two staff members of a private hospital in the city, where a coronavirus patient was admitted last week before being shifted to AIIMS-Patna where he died, have been positive.

Besides, another patient admitted to the Nalanda Medical College Hospital (NMCH) here hailing from Siwan, has tested positive, he added.

"There are a total of 39 Coronavirus positive cases in Delhi today, 29 of them had come from outside and were kept in quarantine and 10 of these are cases of local transmission," said Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal begins his address to people on coronavirus crisis and 21-day-long nationwide lockdown to curb the further spread of the virus on Friday.

The RBI on Friday cut LAF by 90 bps to 4 percent.  It also announced that the Reverse repo-rate has been reduced by 90 basis points to 4 percent. India has locked down economic activity. Keeping finance flowing is the 'paramount objective' of the RBI, while India has locker down economic activity and financial activity is under severe stress, noted the RBI chief.

Shaktikanta Das, RBI Governor on Friday said that if COIV19 case prolongs and the supply chain could get disrupted and it could jeopardise India's growth. 'We hope that drop in crude oil prices will help India, he said. The RBI governor Shaktikanta Das announced that the RBI repo rate was cut by 75 basis points.

The cut has been made to encourage banks to give more to business rather than deposit it with RBI. We hope to mitigate the negative effect of COVID-19 on the economy with these efforts.

RBI chief Shaktikanta Das will address media at 10 am, the central bank has tweeted, as economic uncertainty prevails amid nationwide lockdown over coronavirus pandemic.

Three COVID-19 patients from Pune's Pimpri-Chinchwad in Maharashtra have tested negative in their repeat samples on Friday. The total number of coronavirus cases in Pune district is now at 32, out of which 5 have been already cured and discharged.

According to an analysis by Times of India, prepared by the state department on the first 122 COVID-19 cases in the state, has found out that almost half of the patients were in the age group of 31-50 years.

India saw the highest rise in novel coronavirus cases in a single day on Thursday, even as the Central Government announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore fund aimed mainly at underprivileged sections of the society. A COVID-19 positive patient, who had comorbid conditions including diseases relating to kidney and blood pressure, had died in Rajasthan's Bhilwara early Friday morning.

The fund included free food grain and cooking gas to the poor for three months, and cash doles to women and poor senior citizens — all part of a bid to ease the economic impact of the nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.

India joins countries — from the US to Singapore — that have pledged spending to contain the economic fallout of the pandemic that has infected almost 5 lakh people globally and left over 21,000 dead.

The health ministry said that 88 new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported in the country in a day, taking the total number of infections in India to 694.

Modi noted the alarming social and economic cost of the coronavirus pandemic in his remarks at the G20 virtual summit. He added that 90 percent of the COVID-19 cases and 88 percent of deaths were in G20 countries, even as they share 80 percent of world GDP and 60 percent of world population, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

'Don't want anyone to remain hungry': Sitharaman

While over 80 crore poor ration card holders will each get 5 kgs of wheat or rice and one kg of preferred pulses free of cost every month for the next three months, 20.4 crore women having Jan Dhan bank accounts would get one-time cash help of Rs 1,500 spread over three months.

Representational image. PTI

Representational image. PTI

Over 8.3 crore poor women, who were handed out free cooking gas connections since 2016, will get free LPG refills for the next three months, while poor senior citizens, widows and disabled will get ex-gratia cash of Rs 1,000.

The package included advancing the payment of one-third of the Rs 6,000 a year pre-2019 general election cash dole scheme for farmers, government contributions to retirement funds for the next three months of small companies with 90 percent of staff earning less than Rs 15,000, and a Rs 50 lakh insurance cover to healthcare workers.

For rural workers, the daily wage under the MNREGA employment guarantee programme has been increased to Rs 202 from Rs 182, benefiting 5 crore workers of about Rs 2,000 in all.

"The lockdown has been in force (since Wednesday), and therefore, we have come out with a package which will immediately take care of the concerns and welfare of the poor and suffering workers and those who need immediate help," finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said at a news conference.

The package, she said, is being announced within 36 hours of the 21-day nationwide lockdown announced by the Prime Minister to protect the nation's 130 crore people from the fast-spreading coronavirus.

"We do not want anyone to remain hungry," she added also hinting at more announcements if a need arises.

Responding to the measures, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said:

State-wise picture

Four more people, including a doctor couple, tested positive for COVID-19 in Telangana on Thursday, taking the total number of cases to 45 in the state, even as the government initiated steps to contain the spread of the virus.

Those tested positive are a 49-year old male resident of Qutbullapur in Medchal district, a 36-year-old doctor and her 41-year-old husband, also a doctor, and a 45-year-old man, resident of Secunderabad, a medical bulletin on COVID-19 said.

It said the four had not travelled to any foreign country, while all the 45 confirmed cases had a history of travel or contact with suspected or confirmed cases.

"There is no evidence of community transmission", it said.

In Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar, a 65-year-old man died, becoming the first fatality in the newly formed Union Territory due to coronavirus.

"As we share the sad news of our first #Covid19 fatality, my heart goes out to the family of the deceased. We stand with you and share your grief," Mayor of Srinagar Junaid Azim Mattu tweeted.

Government spokesperson Rohit Kansal also confirmed the death via Twitter.

Two more persons have tested positive for coronavirus in Rajasthan, taking the total number of confirmed cases of the infection to 40 in the state, officials said.

The persons aged 45 years and 35 years have a travel history to West Asia. The former is a resident of Jaipur while the latter belongs to Jhunjhunu.

The state authorities have initiated an extensive contact tracing at both these places to contain the spread of the deadly virus.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra has gone up to 124 as two more persons tested coronavirus positive on Thursday, health officials said.

"Both are from Mumbai city. We are finding out if they have any travel history," an official said.

Till Tuesday, 2,988 people were admitted to isolation wards of hospitals since 18 January, while 932 persons were in hospital quarantine for suspected exposure to the virus.

As many as 14,502 people were put under home quarantine, officials said.

Migrants struggle to return home

Hit by a sudden 21-day lockdown and no transport, hundreds of migrant labourers from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are walking for days to reach their homes from the Delhi-NCR region and Gujarat, about 200 to 300 kilometres away.

And some elsewhere tried to make the desperate journey crammed inside container trucks.

Maharashtra Police on Thursday found over 300 migrant workers holed up inside two container trucks meant for carrying essential commodities from Telangana to Rajasthan.

The shocked officials found that the workers, who hailed from Rajasthan, had chosen this clandestine and dangerous mode of travel as they were desperate to return home.

Migrant labourers elsewhere in the country like in Kerala and Karnataka who are yearning to go home in the absence of any work to make living say they have no choice but to stay back and be at the mercy of authorities.

With hundreds of hapless daily-wagers trudging along desolate inter-state highways on the way back to Rajasthan from adjoining states, mainly Gujarat, the Gehlot government is facilitating their return home from the border after screening for any coronavirus infection.

With inputs from agencies



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