Thursday 30 April 2020

Maharashtra Day 2020: Ram Nath Kovind, Narendra Modi, Uddhav Thackeray wish citizens on social media on occasion of state holiday

The first day of the month of May is celebrated as Maharashtra Day or Maharashtra Diwas. On this day in 1960, the modern-day state of Maharashtra came into existence.

Under the States Reorganization Act, 1956, the state of Bombay was divided into the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. The division was done on a linguistic basis.

Since 1960, the public holiday is observed in Maharashtra on 1 May. Government offices, stock markets, and educational institutes remain closed.

Maharashtra Day and Gujarat Day coincide with Labour Day which is also celebrated on 1 May. Many leaders greeted the people on Maharashtra Day on social media.

President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted in Marathi and hoped that the state continues to prosper and remain safe.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu said Maharashtra has played an important role in national development.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted in Marathi and said that India is proud of Maharashtra’s significant contribution to the development of the country.

Paying his tributes to the greatness of the state, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray wished the people on Maharashtra Day.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also extended his warm wishes on the foundation day of Maharashtra.

Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal extended his greetings to the people of Maharashtra and Gujarat. “Both states have made immense contributions to our nation’s growth story. May they both scale new heights & continue to enrich India's progress,” he tweeted.

Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, shared a colourful picture to greet the public on Maharashtra Day 2020.

Women and Child Development minister Smriti Irani hailed the state and hoped for the continued progress of Maharashtra.

Minister of Housing and Finance, Hardeep Singh Puri appreciated the hardworking people of the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.



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For Mumbai doctors at centre of fight against coronavirus, donning PPEs for long hours is an unprecedented ordeal

Editor's note: This series will focus on the difficulties faced by the medical fraternity at COVID-19 hospitals, their duty hours, access to protective gear, facilities they get during quarantine, how are their families coping with this new reality across different states in the country. This is the sixth part of the series.

***

Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in India, there has been much discussion on the availability of personal protective equipment (PPEs) for medical personnel. However, an aspect that statistics cannot bring to light is the extreme discomfort that doctors go through while wearing the PPEs.

Doctors in Mumbai are going through a particularly harrowing time, with the metropolis presently being the city that is worst-affected by the disease. Till 25 April, Mumbai has reported 4,870 COVID-19 cases. The high number of cases means that overstretched doctors have to wear PPEs for long periods of time.

Amit Ganvir, a doctor at the Jaslok Hospital at Mumbai’s Pedder Road, testifies to the difficulties of wearing the requisite protective equipment for long periods of time. For the first two days that he worked with coronavirus cases, his team worked on two shifts of six hours each per day. This meant that the doctors would get two PPE kits per day. Later, as more and more patients began to be admitted and the hospital started facing shortages of PPEs, doctors began working for 12 hours straight.

Ganvir said, “If one removes any part of the equipment for even a short period, then it will be considered as contaminated and cannot be used again. So, once we wear the PPEs, it is not possible to even drink a glass of water or empty the bladder for the next 12 hours.”

Representational image. AP

He added, “We also face difficulties when we wear hoods —which are plastic headgears that are necessary when we perform procedures to put patients on ventilators. Due to our breathing, the face shields get foggy within about three minutes, after which it becomes difficult to see properly. Because I know how to swim, I can hold my breath for about thirty seconds longer. But this is not possible for everyone. Also, if the face shield becomes foggy before the procedure is complete, we have no choice but to remove it. This increases the risk of infection for us, but there is no other way.”

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The Union health ministry’s guidelines on the rational use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) recommend using the full PPEs in intensive care units (ICUs) and emergency units, especially when aerosol-generating procedures are being conducted. Aerosol-generating procedures include various kinds of ventilation, nebuliser treatment, etc. Doctors who conduct these procedures are considered to be at high risk for the novel coronavirus.

According to the official guidelines, the components of PPEs are goggles, face-shield, mask, gloves, coverall/gowns (with or without aprons), headcover and shoe cover.

Doctors rue having to stay away from families

Many doctors in Mumbai have been staying away from their families for a long time due to concerns that they might end up infecting their loved ones, particularly those with weaker immune systems. However, this inevitably takes a psychological toll.

On this issue, Ganvir said, “I have not gone home since just after Holi (which was on 11 March) as I do not want to risk infecting my family members. It is certainly a difficult time for those have been away from their families since the coronavirus outbreak. No one is used to staying away from home for such long periods.”

He added, “A very small percentage of doctors — perhaps 5 percent — have been going home in the past few weeks. Some of them are newly married or have small children. The doctors who have been going home have been taking extra precautions. They avoid close physical proximity with their family members and wear masks even when they are at home. After all, medical professionals know the risks of transmitting the virus to those around them.”

Ganvir said, “The situation is even worse for people whose families stay outside Mumbai. While they do speak to their families over the phone, they have not met their family members for a very long time now.”

Among the doctors who do not go home, some doctors stay in the hospital’s quarters, while for some, hotel rooms have been booked. Presently, doctors deal with COVID-19 patients for seven days at a stretch, after which they have to remain in quarantine for the next seven days.

Further, hospital personnel who are suspected of having been exposed to the COVID-19 virus are quarantined for 14 days. One of them was Vijaykumar Narwade, who is presently working in the ICU section of the Gokuldas Tejpal (GT) Hospital.

Narwade, along with several other hospital personnel, was earlier quarantined for 14 days after he dealt with a patient who later tested positive for the virus. However, he later tested negative.

He recalled, “During the period when we were in quarantine, our families would be especially worried about us. They would call to check on our health multiple times in a day, and would sometimes video call as well. They would also be concerned since we were eating hospital food. But we had no choice — we had to eat that food, whether we liked it or not. It would not have been proper to complain.”

Narwade also expressed concern about doctors facing stigma and discrimination from people around them. He said, “I have read and seen news about doctors facing stigma from communities, being forced out of rental accommodation, etc. That is certainly a worry for us. I personally have not faced any disrespectful or impolite behaviour from anyone till now. However, I can see that people are apprehensive about being around me if I wear a doctor’s apron.”

Citing instances of people being fearful of being around doctors, he said, “Recently, when I went to a petrol pump near the GT Hospital to refuel my bike, an attendant asked me to stand away from the others, rather than join the line. At a medical store, too, a shopkeeper asked me to wait outside and tell him what I needed from there.”

Narwade also pointed out that PPEs for doctors are extremely uncomfortable, particularly in Mumbai’s rising heat. On the issue of availability of this equipment, he said, “Adequate PPEs are available as of now. But I don’t know what will happen if there is a major rise in cases.”



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Coronavirus Outbreak: India must develop lockdown playbook that prioritises all lives, building long-term resilience

I have spent the last few weeks rereading material on the multiple famines that have hit India. We lost millions to the 1876 famine, millions more in the famines that followed, upwards of 12 million to the 1918 pandemic.

As of 25 April, we have lost 800+ lives to Covid-19.

While in no way diminishing this tragedy, life will go on after the coronavirus outbreak.

Also, looking at the way other coronavirus and other flus have behaved, we should expect Covid-19 to return in the winter.

fig-1

Above figure: Seasonality of Flu

Given that a vaccine is unlikely to be available by that time, we need an India playbook. A playbook that does not duplicate the lockdown choices of older, developed, more formal economies. What do I mean by this?

All of us heard the phone message on coronavirus. We have a dashboard highlighting every case and every death for Covid-19.

We do not have a dashboard for hunger.

We do not have online dashboards for daily city wise cases and deaths for TB or dengue.

A textile industry survey covering over 300 companies providing hundreds of thousands of jobs showed that nearly half of the companies did not have cash in April to pay wages.

fig-2

Above figure: Industry  survey covering 319 companies.

Companies are uncertain about demand in the face of silence and cancelled export orders. Every passing day sees enterprise death or enterprise comas. We do not have an online dashboard for those. The rising NPAs do not have a nifty, colour-coded crowd-sourced online dashboard.

Which means, we are acting on selective facts. We are succumbing to an acute case of selective dashboardism. At some level, we are comparing a rapid, horrific death by virus to a prolonged death-by-a thousand cuts life from a lockdown. To our all-too-human minds, the former is unacceptable, while the latter is.  This lockdown is saving lives — no doubt about it. But it is hurting lives too.

This lockdown is saving lives — no doubt about it. But it is hurting lives too. AP/File Photo

Of particular concern is the lapse of measles and other childhood vaccinations in some parts of the country. Measles is a deadly disease, that used to fill wards and wards in the hospital before widespread vaccinations took root. The current lockdown to combat this coronavirus is placing 117 million children at risk because of a break in the vaccination. In developed economies, a lockdown is a choice between economy vs life. In India, a lockdown translates into a choice of life vs life. Only our selective dashboardism hides this from us.

So how does life go on?

Now

On an immediate basis, there are a couple of advantages we have that we may not be exploiting. One is our younger population. For this we need reliable antibody tests — something which is within our capability to develop. Second is our climate, or specifically our micro-climate.

The seasonality of this virus may have something to do with effect of heat and humidity. Studies on the SARS virus (SARS-Co-V), show that the virus was vulnerable to both heat and humidity, and especially so to a combination thereof.

fig-3

Above figure: Infectivity of SARS Coronavirus (105/10 μL) to different temperatures at (a) >95% relative humidity, (b) >80–89%. Chan et al 2011

This could imply that the infectivity is significantly lower outdoors than in air conditioned environments. If India can get meaningful studies going on this, they could drive micro-climate based distancing and operational norms, not just a blanket lockdown.

Long term

With so much clamouring for government money, sooner or later, government will begin to spend. There are other moving pieces, and we need to recognise that we have a once in a lifetime chance to reset to a more resilient India.

Supply Chain realignment, Investor preferences and Losses —

A lot of people have been hurt by Covid-19. Human psychology demands a villain.  China’s handling of the wet markets before and since and its opacity of data have been held against it. Japan has already announced billions in incentives to reshore manufacturing or move it away from China. This may be repeated by other countries.

Supply chain changes are expensive. Plants have to be built. Machineries shifted. Links broken and reconnected. This is such a pain, that companies will do it very rarely, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime. “Not China” is only one of the parameters. An increasingly important factor companies are considering is climate risk. When considering an Indian site, companies will ask: Is a unit vulnerable to floods or drought?

The 2011 Thai floods cost the global auto industry more than $46 billion. The Chennai floods costs thousands of crores to supply chains and exposed the vulnerability of the factories. The Chennai water crisis saw water enter the income statement of a company for the first time. Water scarcity can lead to loss of revenue as well. A WRI study showed that many of India’s thermal power plants lost a combined revenue exceeding $1 billion because of water shortage.

Also, consider that investors, such as Blackrock who manage trillions of dollars, are requiring water and climate disclosures. Poor scores don’t make for attractive investments.

Covid-19 has and will cost the world economy in trillions. So do climate and water risks, over a decade. And climate and water damages will recur and increase as the years go by.

When spending, we might as well spend it on assets that will see us stronger over the short and medium term future. To move up supply chain attractiveness, to become more attractive to investors, to prevent future losses, we must build climate and water resilience. Something to keep in mind, while thinking of what to stimulate and what to subsidise.

Changing customer preferences —

All of us have been enchanted by the birdsong and the bird visitors over the past weeks. Dolphins have been seen near Kolkata. Multiple CEOs and thought leaders have opined that this virus will usher in a change to sustainable living, because people, having experienced clear air and water, will want it to stay that way.

Perhaps. Perhaps not.

fig-4

Above figure: Visiting Kingfisher, watercolours by A&P.

Humans have a remarkable capacity to psychologically adapt to circumstances. Just as we admire the bird song and starry skies, we may as soon get re-accustomed to honks and cloudy skies. The virus has certainly revealed the awesome power of Nature. But memories tend to be short, and human response unpredictable. I’m not sure if the virus can make us respect planetary boundaries. Witness China’s reopening of its wet markets.

On a more encouraging note, companies, schools and universities have realised that working or learning from-home can work just as well for several functions, cost less and have lower climate footprint. If this sustains, we have a potentially greener and lower cost way to reimagine businesses. With luck, we might even improve female workforce participation.

Marketing guru Philip Kotler believes this pandemic may make people consume less. This, he says, builds on other growing trends, such as minimalism, cutting-clutter, climate action and the circular economy. That will have a meaningful impact on companies. While planning to survive over the next few months, keep some mindspace for the next few years. Parts of India’s start up economy are on a ventilator, with clamour for fiscal support. Is this an opportunity for the government and investors to double down on start-ups that can help build resilience over the medium term? Towards better health? Towards greener jobs and localised services? Towards building climate and water resilience?

Why not give the milk to the worthy child, one who will keep the family in good stead in times to come, rather than one crying the loudest?

The writer is the founder of the Sundaram Climate Institute, cleantech angel investor and author of The Climate Solution — India's Climate Crisis and What We Can Do About It published by Hachette. Follow her work on her website; on Twitter; or write to her at cc@climaction.net.



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There's a philanthropy outbreak over the COVID-19 pandemic; don't stop it by selfie-shaming

They jump out of your social media timeline wearing gloves and masks, overseeing or helping load sacks full of cereals and vegetables on to trucks, neatly packing hundreds of lunchboxes, or supervising movement of thousands of masks.

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages, there has been a happy outbreak of philanthropy in South Asia. It is not necessarily without conspicuous self-promotion or narcissism. Some of it is being lampooned as "selfie service", "PR philanthropy" or "kitty-party activism".

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But what the heck. Who said charity was without its personal motives and had to always be anonymous and selfless? Why should we not embrace the infectious generosity of the well-off and socially hyperactive, however awkwardly it sits with our traditional notions of giving?

To the startled indignation of the West and much cavil from its media, South Asia has done well so far in handling the coronavirus pandemic. India, despite its 1.3 billion population, is way below the US, UK, Italy, France, Germany, Spain in terms of cases or deaths. So is Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan or Myanmar.

In spite of that, the healthcare and social support infrastructure in these countries are abysmal. Their economies are under severest strain. While governments may announce impressive relief schemes, the poor need immediate relief, and charity by private citizens is coming as an unexpected saviour for the distressed.

Representational image. PTI

Representational image. PTI

In India, tycoons and celebrities like Azim Premji, Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata, Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan have given hundreds of millions in donations and relief. Among prominent citizens, fashion designer Suket Dhir is overseeing thousands of hampers packed with food provisions being sent to poor households across India from the Delhi Seva Bharti Centre, for instance. Filmmaker Manish Mundra is sending free personal protection equipment (PPE) and other stuff to health officials and actor Prakash Raj is feeding 250 homeless and daily wage workers in Kerala's Kovalam and Thiruvananthapuram.

In Bangladesh, a growing number of business, media, political and social entrepreneurs like Silvia Parveen Lenny, Khandaker Anwar, Masud Hasan, Shabbir Ahmed Bokshi, Nazma Masud Parul, Emadur Rahman and Mahjabeen Khaled have spontaneously come out to the streets with their resources. These philanthropists are taking up a particular area each and ensuring that food and other essential supplies reach the poor every day.

The well-off in Pakistan's Karachi, for instance, are standing in front of grocery shops and doling out provisions for free to the poor. While at some places in Pakistan the official distribution machinery is discriminating against minorities, private citizens are more generous. The Muslim holy month of Ramzan ensures a lot more zakat or religious charity is going to the poor. In a nation where, by Prime Minister Imran Khan's admission, 25 percent of the people can’t afford two meals a day during this gargantuan crisis, such charity is providence.

In psychologist Abraham Maslow's famous pyramid representing the hierarchy of needs, self-actualisation is at the tip — above food, security, sex and success. It is the stage in which an individual seeks self-fulfilment, self-growth, spiritual satisfaction and a need to give.

The urge to do charity may sometimes hide baser impulses like guilt or showing-off. But more often, we give to reinforce our self-worth, and to feel that we are not tiny, fleeting, pointless beings after all, we have the power to make some demonstratable change.

Society shouldn't stop it by moral judgments and selfie-shaming. One meal means the world for a struggling family at this time.

Also, seeing one give, others step out of their shells of stinginess or shyness to donate. Philanthropy is infectious. We have a far better chance of defeating the coronavirus if the kindness infection spreads far and fast.



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Labour Day 2020: Why we celebrate International Workers' Day on 1 May, its history and significance

To honour the struggles and gains made by workers and labourers, the first day of May is observed as International Labour Day.

The day is also called May Day or International Workers’ Day.

Representational image. Firstpost

Representational image. Firstpost

History

On 1 May, 1886, labour unions in the US decided to go on a strike demanding that workers should not be made to work for more than 8 hours a day. Just three days after the strike began, a blast occurred in Chicago's Haymarket Square leaving many dead.

To honor those who died in the blast, the International Socialist Conference declared 1 May as a day designated for labourers.

The commemorative day was established at a meeting in 1889 and gradually spread to other parts of the world.

Labour Day in India

In India, the first Labour Day was observed on 1 May, 1923, in present day Chennai. The day was celebrated by Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan.

The red flag, which symbolises Labour Day, was used for the first time in India. Prominent communist leader Malayapuram Singaravelu Chettiar raised the flag and arranged meetings to celebrate the occasion.

Chettiar passed a resolution stating that the government should announce a national holiday on Labour Day in India and since then the country has continued to celebrate May Day.

According to an article in Al Jazeera, International Workers's Day has always been marked by celebrations, protests and strikes across the world. Some of the most well-known events of the day include the US civil disobedience acts against the Vietnam War in 1971.

More recently in 2016, May Day saw a number of protests and marches around the world in places like Istanbul, Moscow and Taipei where workers either commemorated the holiday or called on governments to reduce working hours and increase wages.

In India, 1 May is also celebrated as Maharashtra Day and Gujarat Day. On this day in 1960, they attained statehood after Bombay (now Mumbai) was divided based on linguistic lines.



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Pune's civic body to reduce number of containment zones, relax some restrictions in non-hotspot areas in city after 3 May

Pune: The civic administration has decided to reduce the number of coronavirus containment zones in Pune city after 3 May and give some relaxations in the non-hotspots.

"Barring hotspots or red zones in the central Pune, we are planning to give some relaxations in some non-hotspot areas of Pune which are unaffected (by the disease)," said Shekhar Gaikwad, municipal commissioner.

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He said as far as lifting of the lockdown (in force till 3 May) is concerned, it is the central government's call but in the non-hotspot areas, some restrictions can be removed and commercial establishments such as bakeries, salons and electronics shops can be allowed to function.

"Currently all wards under Pune municipal limits come under containment zones but we will reduce their number after 3 May," he said.

He added that IT companies located in Pune limits can also be given some relaxations and allowed to reopen.

Gaikwad, however, said that restrictions will be in force in red zones.



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Coronavirus Outbreak Updates: 414 new COVID-19 cases, 20 deaths reported in Mumbai today, total number of cases crosses 7,000

23:21 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

Delhi reports 76 cases, 3 deaths in past day

 

Delhi reported 76 new coronavirus cases and 3 deaths on Thursday. The total number of cases in the capital has reached 3,515.

23:08 (IST)

Amarinder Singh writes to PM, seeks rail transport for stranded migrants

Captain Amarinder Singh has written a letter to Narendra Modi saying 'given the large number of workers stuck due to lockdown, use of buses for their transportation would not work'. He urged the prime minister to advise Railway Ministry to make special arrangements for migrants, according to a statement by the chief minister's office.

22:57 (IST)

Pinarayi Vijayan seeks special non-stop trains for migrant labourers

Welcoming the Centre's decision to allow inter-state movement of migrant labourers, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday demanded special non-stop trains for them.

ANI

22:42 (IST)

Russian PM tests positive for COVID-19

Russia's prime minister Mikhail Mishustin has tested positive for coronavirus, AFP has reported.

22:38 (IST)

Coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh Latest Updates

28 people have recovered from COVID-19 in HP till date

ANI has quoted Nipun Jindal, Himachal Pradesh's state special secretary (health) as saying that 28 people have recovered from coronavirus till date. He added that the total number of active cases in the state is now 7.

22:27 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

Two teams deployed in Delhi's Azadpur Mandi after cases detected

Two medical teams have been deployed at Azadpur Mandi after COVID-19 positive cases were detected at the wholesale market.

22:13 (IST)

Coronavirus in Rajasthan Latest Updates

146 cases, 3 deaths reported in Rajasthan reported

The Rajasthan health department said that three COVID-19 deaths and 146 new cases were reported in the state on Thursday, taking the total number of cases to 2,584, including 58 deaths.

21:56 (IST)

Coronavirus in Uttarakhand Latest Updates

Cops above the age of 55 to be deployed in areas with minimum contact with people

The Uttarakhand police said that "personnel above the age of 55 years will be deployed in areas where they have minimum direct contact with people considering their higher vulnerability to infections," India Today reported.

21:49 (IST)

Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates

Pregnant woman tests positive for COVID-19 in Gautam Buddh Nagar

According to India Today, a nine months pregnant woman tested positive for coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar on Thursday, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the district to 138.

21:39 (IST)

Coronavirus in Assam Latest Updates

Another COVID-19 case reported in Assam

Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that one person from Karimganj, a secondary contact of a Nizamuddin Markaz attendee, has tested positive for COVID-19.

The total number of cases in Assam now stands at 42. (29 are discharged, 1 death, so active hospital cases 12), he added.

21:30 (IST)

Coronavirus in Karnataka Latest Updates

COVID-19 patient passes away in Karnataka

Reports said that one coronavirus patient passed away in Karnataka on Thursday. The patient was reportedly a 67-year-old woman in the Bantwal district.

21:18 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Railways drafts plan to operate 400 trains for movement of stranded people, says report

The Indian Express quoted government sources as saying that that the Ministry of Railways "has drafted a plan to operate 400 special trains per day, which can be scaled up to 1,000, with a detailed protocol."

"While there has been no indication that passenger train services will resume before May 3, the Railways carried out an internal exercise and communicated the plan to top levels in the government. According to the plan, each non-AC train will carry 1,000 people per trip — about half the usual number — to ensure adequate social distancing," the report said.

This comes after the MHA's order allowing stranded people — migrants, students, tourists — to travel back to their homes on Wednesday.

21:13 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

Delhi govt issues guidelines for home isolation of mildly symptomatic cases

The Government of Delhi has issued a notification stating guidelines for home isolation of very mild/pre-symptomatic COVID-19 cases.

21:06 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

27 new COVID-19 deaths reported in Maharashtrra today

The Maharashtra health department on Thursday said that 27 new coronavirus deaths and 583 new cases were reported in the state, taking the total number of cases 10,498.

20:59 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

Delhi govt removes Vardhaman apartments area from containment zones list

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that the government had implemented 'Operation Shield' to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the Vardhaman apartment.

"In the last four weeks, no new case has been reported and today the apartment is being de-contained," he added.

20:53 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Mumbai reports 414 cases, 20 deaths today

Mumbai reported 417 new COVID-19 cases and 20 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the city's tally of coronavirus cases to 7,061. The toll rose to 290.

20:45 (IST)

Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates

614 COVID-19 cases reported in J&K so far

The Jammu and Kashmir government said that 614 cases of coronavirus have been reported in the UT so far, of which 390 cases (384 in Kashmir, six in Jammu) are active.

Eight patients have succumbed to the disease while 216 others have recovered. 80 percent COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic.

20:29 (IST)

Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates

UP govt says tentative plan is to open schools in July

The Uttar Pradesh government said that the Basic Education Department is planning to open schools in July "but will take the final decision as per the guidelines of Central and state governments."

20:23 (IST)

Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates

77 new COVID-19 cases reported in UP today

The Uttar Pradesh health department on Thursday said that 77 more people have been tested positive for coronavirus in the state, taking total number of cases to 2,211.

Out of the total cases, 551 patients have been cured while 40 others lost their lives due to the infection.

20:12 (IST)

Coronavirus in Gujarat Latest Updates

Gujarat reports 313 new COVID-19 cases

The Gujarat health department said that 313 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the state on Thursday, taking the total number of cases to 4,395.

This includes 613 cured/discharged and 214 deaths.

20:03 (IST)

Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates

J&K admin approves Rs 350 cr relief package for those affected by lockdown

The Jammu and Kashmir administrative council on Thursday approved Rs 350 crore relief package for eight categories of people affected due to COVID-19 lockdown. Rs 1,000 will be given to 1.8 lakh construction workers for three months. One month's relief has already been given.

"Houseboat workers, shikarawalas registered with tourism department, poniwalas, pithuwalas working at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board and different tourism development authorities will be given Rs 1,000 per month for three months," the government said.

19:49 (IST)

Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates

36 new COVID cases reported in Bengal today

The West Bengal government on Thursday said that 36 new coronavirus cases were reported in the state, taking the number of active cases to 572. Reports added that the toll increased by 11 in the state, and the total toll tose to 33.

139 patients have been cured/discharged for different hospitals so far. 1,905 samples were tested in the last 24 hours.

19:40 (IST)

Coronavirus in Uttarakhand Latest Updates

Uttarakhand reports two new COVID-19 cases

The Uttarakhand health department said that two new COVID-19 cases were reported in the state on Thursday. taking the total number of cases in the state to 57.

19:31 (IST)

Coronavirus in Bihar Latest Updates

Bihar govt says people returning to state will be given food and screened

Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey on Thursday said that migrant workers, students and others returning to the state will be provided food and screened for COVID-19 at the state borders.

"We'll make arrangements to drop them at their respective blocks where they will be screened again and quarantined," he added.

19:24 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Dharavi reports 25 new COVID-19 cases today

The BMC said that 25 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Mumbai's Dharavi on Thursday. The total number of cases in Dharavi is now 369, toll is at 18.

19:08 (IST)

Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates

Seven J&K officers given additional charge over movement of stranded people

The Jammu and Kashmir government said that seven officers of the UT have been given additional charge and assigned tasks related to the movement of stranded persons including migrant workers, students, pilgrims and tourists into and outside Jammu and Kashmir.

19:02 (IST)

Coronavirus in Punjab Latest Updates

105 new COVID-19 cases reported in Punjab

The Tamil Nadu health department said that 105 cases of coronavirus have been reported in the state on Thursday, taking the total number of cases to 480, out of which 356 cases are active. 104 patients have been cured of the infection while 20 other lost their lives.

18:55 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

MHA tells states to ensure free movement of trucks

The MHA instructed state governemnts to ensure free movement of trucks/goods carriers, including empty trucks.

"Local authorities must not insist on separate passes at inter-state borders across the country. This is essential to maintain the supply chain of goods and services in the country," the statement said.

18:46 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

CISF personnel at Delhi Metro tests positive for COVID-19

The CISF on Thursday said that a personnel who was deployed at the Delhi Metro has been tested COVID-19 positive.

"The jawan was performing duty at a metro station on a rotational basis. Total number of COVID-19 cases in CISF in Delhi has reached three, other two were deployed at Delhi airport," the statement said.

18:36 (IST)

Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates

Tamil Nadu reports highest jump in COVID-19 cases

With 161 new coronavirus cases reported in Tamil Nadu in the last 24 hours, the state recorded the highest single-day jump in the tally of cases. The total number of cases is now 2,323. Chennai has the most number of COVID-19 cases, with 906 infections, followed by Coimbatore with 141

18:20 (IST)

Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Updates

Two new COVID-19 cases reported in Kerala today

Tw new coronavirus cases were reported in Kerala on Thursday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 497. The new cases have reportedly been detected in Malappuram and Kasargod districts. Kerala now has 117 active cases.

18:16 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Maharashtra govt to shift COVID-19 patients without comorbidity to care centres

The Maharashtra government on Thursday said that in order to decongest hospitals, all asymptomatic positive patients without comorbidity should be shifted to appropriate COVID-19 Care Centres.

"Hospitals should ensure that no admissions are granted to asymptomatic positive patients without comorbidity. Similar patients in private hospitals should be stamped and sent away for home quarantine after proper counselling according to the Government of India guidelines," the statement added.

18:10 (IST)

Coronavirus in Karnataka Latest Updates

30 new cases reported in Karnataka in last 24 hours

The Karnataka health department said that 30 new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the state from 5 pm on 29 April to 5 pm on 30 April.

The total number of cases rose to 565.

18:02 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

1,823 new COVID-19 cases reported in 24 hours, says Centre

The Union health ministry said that 1,823 new coronavirus cases and 67 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, across the country.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in India rose to 33,610, including 24,162 active cases, 8,373 cured, discharged, migrated and 1,075 deaths.

17:54 (IST)

Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Updates

Kasaragod district officers under self-quarantine after journalist tests positive

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that Kasaragod district collector D Sajith Babu, IG Vijay Sakhare and IG Ashok Yadav have gone into self-quarantine after a journalist in the district tested COVID-19 positive on Wednesday.

17:50 (IST)

Coronavirus in Karnataka Latest Updates

Karnataka govt announces Rs 30 lakhs compensation for aanganwadi workers

Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday announced Rs 30 lakh compensation for anganwadi workers and assistants, civil workers, and police personnel who die after getting infected by COVID-19 while carrying out their duties.

17:43 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

MEA says 2.8 mn HCQ tablets, 1.9 mn paracetamol tablets given to 87 countries

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that India had provided 2.8 million HCQ tablets and 1.9 million paracetamol tablets as part of assistance to other countries. "India also provided HCQ and Paracetamol tablets on a commercial basis to 87 countries," the statement sais.

"Testing kits from China are under examination under the ICMR, priority is now to enhance rapid test kits. MEA is helping as part of the empowered group," the statement added.

17:40 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

Delhi Police says stranded people must register themselves

The Delhi Police on Thursday said that the police and state government are finalising modalities for the movement of people of other states.

"We are in touch with resident commissioners of different states. People will need to register themselves for the travel. Please don't pay heed to rumours," said Delhi Police PRO MS Randhawa.

17:31 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Centre says average of 49,000 tests being conducted per day

The Union health ministry on Thursday said that a total of 58,686 tests were done on Wednesday. He added that 49,000 tests are being conducted on an average per day.

17:24 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 25.19%, says Centre

The Union health ministry on Thursday said that the recovery rate of COVID-19 cases is at 25.19 percent, which was 13.06 percent 14 days ago.

"The fatality rate is 3.2 percent. Comorbidities were found in COVID-19 patients in 78 percent of the deaths. Doubling rate of the cases has now increased to 11 days," said Lav Agrawal, health ministry joint secretary.

17:16 (IST)

Coronavirus in Chhattisgarh Latest Updates

Two more people test positive for COVID-19 in Chattisgarh

Chhattisgarh health minister TS Singh Deo said that two more people tested positive for coronavirus in the state on Thursday, taking the total number of cases to 40, of which 36 have fully recovered.

17:03 (IST)

Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates

No patient can be denied health services for any reason, says Bengal govt

The West Bengal government on Thursday said, "It is clarified that no government approval is required for either admitting or treating any patient in any healthcare facility or for testing an individual for COVID-19 as per ICMR's testing protocol. No patient can be denied health services for any reason."

16:54 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Centre says approval only for RT-PCR tests so far

Health Ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal on Thursday said, "As far as testing and treatment protocol is concerned we have to use RT-PCR test only."

16:47 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Centre says non-COVID-19 patients shouldn't be turned away by private hospitals

Union health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal on Thursday said, "Non-COVID-19 patients should not be turned away by private hospitals, and critical services should be functional. Private hospitals should not insist on COVID-19 negative tests, guidelines are in place, PPEs should be used."

16:39 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Centre says special trains not being considered for stranded people

When asked if the Centre is considering the proposal by many state governments for running special trains to transport stranded people like students and migrant labourers, MHA joint secretary PS Srivastava said that as of now, the directives are to use buses.

16:33 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Doubing rate improves to 11 days after lockdown, says Centre

The Union health ministry on Thursday said that the coronavirus doubling rate of cases in India, which was 3.4 days before the lockdown, has improved to 11 days.

Health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal said that 16 states, had performed better than national average.

11-20 days: Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Punjab,

20-40 days: Karnataka, Ladakh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Kerala,

Above 40 days: Assam, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh

16:24 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Centre says 1,718 new COVID-19 cases reported in last 24 hours

In the daily briefing at 4 pm on Thursday, Health Ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal said that 1,718 new cases of coronavirus were reported across the country in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 33,050 cases so far.

He added that there are 23,651 active cases in the country, with 360 having recovered in the last 24 hours. A total of 8,324 people have recovered cured so far.

16:20 (IST)

Coronavirus in Bihar Latest Updates

Bihar govt says situation 'unfavourable' to bring migrants back

Bihar minister and JD(U) leader Ashok Chaudhary said on Thursday, "If we follow social distancing norms, about 1.70 lakh buses will be required to bring 25 lakhs registered labourers of Bihar stranded in different states. We've constituted a nodal team for it, but the situation is not favourable for government to bring them."

16:16 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Centre says IMCT in Hyderabad found adequate PPEs, testing kits

MHA joint secretary PS Srivastava said that the IMCT visiting Hyderabad found that "the state has adequate number of testing kits, PPEs".

She added, "The state is using an end-to-end IT dashboard to track patients right from testing to discharge."

16:08 (IST)

Coronavirus in Meghalaya Latest Updates

Two Shillong COVID-19 patients test negative in consecutive tests 

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma said that two more coronavirus patients, who are being treated at Shillong's Civil Hospital have tested negative on Thursday.

Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: The Maharashtra health department on Thursday said that 27 new coronavirus deaths and 583 new cases were reported in the state, taking the total number of cases 10,498.

The Jammu and Kashmir administrative council on Thursday approved Rs 350 crore relief package for eight categories of people affected due to COVID-19 lockdown. Rs 1,000 will be given to 1.8 lakh construction workers for three months. One month's relief has already been given.

The BMC said that 25 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Mumbai's Dharavi on Thursday. The total number of cases in Dharavi is now 369, toll is at 18.

The MHA instructed state governemnts to ensure free movement of trucks/goods carriers, including empty trucks.

"Local authorities must not insist on separate passes at inter-state borders across the country. This is essential to maintain the supply chain of goods and services in the country," the statement said.

With 161 new coronavirus cases reported in Tamil Nadu in the last 24 hours, the state recorded the highest single-day jump in the tally of cases. The total number of cases is now 2,323. Chennai has the most number of COVID-19 cases, with 906 infections, followed by Coimbatore with 141.

The Union health ministry said that 1,823 new coronavirus cases and 67 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, across the country.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in India rose to 33,610, including 24,162 active cases, 8,373 cured, discharged, migrated and 1,075 deaths.

The Union health ministry on Thursday said that the coronavirus doubling rate of cases in India, which was 3.4 days before the lockdown, has improved to 11 days.

Health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal said that 16 states, had performed better than national average.

11-20 days: Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Punjab,

20-40 days: Karnataka, Ladakh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Kerala,

Above 40 days: Assam, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh

The Bihar health minister on Thursday said that the government had conducted a door-to-door drive to screen people for COVID-19 in some districts that reported relatively higher number of cases. The door-to-door screening led to identification of more cases in those districts.

As many as 86 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Rajasthan on Thursday. Of the fresh cases, 59 were reported in Jodhpur and 14 in Jaipur.

Four infections were detected in Ajmer, three in Chittorgarh, two in Tonk and a case each in Alwar, Baran, Dholpur and Kota districts, the Health Department official said.

The state now has 2,524 total confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, of which 592 have been discharged from hospitals. There are 1,662 active cases.

Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that four more people tested COVID-19 positive in the state and the cases were reported in Bongaigaon district.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday tweeted that the government was making arrangements to bring back stranded students in Kota, Rajasthan to their hometowns.

As many as 22 positive COVID-19 cases have been detected on Thursday morning in Karnataka taking the total number of cases to 557. The figure includes 21 deaths and one non-COVID death and 223 discharged persons.

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has donated a $100,000 prize she won from a Danish foundation to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for use against the COVID-19 pandemic, the world body said Thursday.

"Like the climate crisis, the coronavirus pandemic is a child rights crisis," Thunberg, 17, was quoted as saying in the UNICEF statement.

Nearly 20,000 migrant labourers from Madhya Pradesh stranded in other states due to the lockdown imposed in view of the novel coronavirus have been brought back to their native districts so far, according to All India Radio News.

Over 6.5 lakh migrant labourers, a majority of them from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, are stranded in various parts of Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai and Pune.

According to the state administration, by the end of day an order will be issued on detailed screening of the workers before they are put on buses, which will then ply to their respective states.

The number of coronavirus cases in Nashik district of Maharashtra has gone up to 276 as 71 more people have tested positive for the disease, an official from the district administration said on Thursday.

Most of the new cases are from the district's Malegaon town, he said. The new patients include six police personnel and three children - aged three months, 5 years and 11 years.

71 new positive cases were reported in Andhra Pradesh in the last 24 hours. The total number of COVID19 cases in the state stands at 1403, including 1051 active cases, 31 deaths and 321 discharges. No death reported in the last 24 hours, according to the latest media bulletin by the government.

The Uttar Pradesh police has ordered over 10,000 personal protective equipments and asked cops above the age of 55 years with a health history to stay off the frontline duty after 28 of them tested positive.

With three more people testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Jajpur district, the overall count in Odisha climbed to 128 on Thursday, PTI quoted officials as saying.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued an advisory to chart out academic calendar for universities and conduct of exams in view of COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, Bar and Bench reported.

These guidelines concern aspects such as the academic calendar, admissions, online teaching etc. and are intended to be flexibly adopted by Universities in a transparent manner to avoid academic loss during the pandemic.

The death rate in India due to hunger will be more than from the COVID-19 pandemic if the lockdown continued to be in place, said Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy. He further said that the novel coronavirus must be accepted as the new normal and the return-to-work of able-bodied must be facilitated while protecting the most vulnerable.

"What is important for us to understand is that India cannot continue in this situation for too long. Because at some point of time, deaths due to hunger will far outweigh deaths due to coronavirus," he told business leaders at a webinar on Wednesday.

We need to be cleverer in lifting lockdown; need to open up in measured way as India does not have capacity to feed people for long, said Raghuram Rajan during the interaction with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday.

India needs Rs 65,000 crore to help the poor during the novel coronavirus crisis, said former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan on Thursday.

A second or third lockdown will be devastating for the Indian economy, said former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan.

"Our fiscal resources are restricted but, it is pivotal to reopen economic activities," said Rajan

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will on Thursday initiate his series of dialogues with experts on economy and health, with the first one being with former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Gandhi will be in conversation with Mr Rajan in the first such dialogue and the same will be aired on social media from Thursday morning.

India registered a record jump of 71 COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, taking the toll from the novel coronavirus past 1,000. The number of confirmed cases also recorded a growth of 1,813 new infections, pushing the total to 31,787.

Meanwhile, the Centre allowed migrant workers, students and others stranded in different parts of the country to begin their journey homewards provided certain norms and conditions were followed.

The development comes after some states including Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh this week began bringing back students and labourers stuck outside the states.

India recorded 71 COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, pushing the toll past 1,000. PTI

India recorded 71 COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, pushing the toll past 1,000. PTI

1,813 new cases, 71 deaths recorded in 24 hours

According to the 5 pm update issued by the Union health ministry, India now has 31,787 coronavirus positive cases with 1,813 new patients confirmed in the past 24 hours.

The total number of cases include 111 foreign nationals.

While the number of active COVID-19 cases stand at 22,982, 7,796 people have recovered, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said.

"Thus, around 24.52 percent of the patients have recovered so far," PTI quoted a health ministry official  as saying.

The highest number of confirmed cases in the country are from Maharashtra at 9,318, followed by Gujarat at 3,774, Delhi at 3,314, Madhya Pradesh at 2,561, Rajasthan at 2,364, Uttar Pradesh at 2,115 and Tamil Nadu at 2,058.

The ministry in its updated chart said that "repeat case from Betul district (was) removed" from Madhya Pradesh.

The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 1,332 in Andhra Pradesh and 1,012 in Telangana.  The number of cases has risen to 725 in West Bengal, 565 in Jammu and Kashmir, 532 in Karnataka, 486 in Kerala, 383 in Bihar and 322 in Punjab.

Maharashtra and Gujarat account for most deaths

According to the ministry, 71 persons also succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours, the highest rise in fatalities so far in a single day, taking the toll due to COVID-19 to 1,008.

Of the 71 deaths reported since Tuesday evening, 31 fatalities were from Maharashtra, 19 from Gujarat, six from Madhya Pradesh, five each from Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, two from West Bengal and one each from Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Tamil Nadu.

Of the 1,008 deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 400 fatalities, followed by Gujarat at 181, Madhya Pradesh at 119, Delhi at 54, Rajasthan at 51, Uttar Pradesh at 36 and Andhra Pradesh at 31.

However, a PTI tally put the countrywide toll at 1,064 and case count at 32,657 till 9 pm on Wednesday, while 8,091 have been cured of the infection.

The Gujarat health department said that 308 new COVID-19 positive cases were reported in the state in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases in the state to 4,082, including 527 cured/ discharged and 197 deaths.

Tamil Nadu reported more than a 100 cases for the second consecutive day, pushing the state total to 2,162, said the state health department. Four children, aged between two and six, were among the newly infected.

In Maharashtra, Mumbai's Dharavi area reported 14 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, taking the overall tally to 344. Dharavi, considered as the biggest slum in Asia, has so far reported 18 deaths.

In the National Capital, the new confirmed cases included 11 family members of an LNJP Hospital dietician, who had earlier tested positive. However, none of the hospital employees, who came in contact with the dietician, have tested positive.

Punjab extends curfew till 17 May

Punjab, which has reported 375 cases and 19 deaths, announced extension of the lockdown in the state by two weeks after 3 May, though some relaxations have been given in areas that do not fall under the containment or red zones. However, containment zones will continue to remain under total lockdown, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said.

In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said experts and doctors are of the opinion that the restrictions imposed to check the spread of COVID-19 should continue in the state till the end of May.

She, however, also announced some relaxations, including opening of standalone shops in green zones and non-containment zones with all precautionary and social distancing measures.

The Tamil Nadu government announced that the four-day total shutdown in Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore Corporation limits ending on Wednesday will not be extended, even as Chief Minister K Palaniswami said the contagion is "easily" spreading in Chennai due to its large population. He, however, observed that the spread of COVID-19 in the rest of the state is largely under control and asked district collectors to work on a "war footing" towards resumption of normalcy.

Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has already announced extension of the lockdown in his state till 7 May without any relaxation.

During his last interaction with chief ministers on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told them that the economy would need to be given importance too while fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

MHA issues guidelines to bring back migrants workers, students stranded in other states

Days after Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh governments undertook special initiatives to bring back migrant workers and students, the the Union Home Ministry on Wednesday passed an order to allow inter-state movement of migrants and students to reach their respective destinations, subject to certain conditions.

The order will also apply to pilgrims, tourists, students and other people stranded at different places.

In the order, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said buses shall be used for transport of such groups of stranded people and these vehicles will be sanitised and will have to follow safe social distancing norms in seating.

Migrant workers from Balaghat (MP) carry their belongings as they walk towards their native places. PTI

Migrant workers from Balaghat (MP) carry their belongings as they walk towards their native places. PTI

Listing the conditions, the ministry said that all states and Union Territories should designate nodal authorities and develop standard protocols for receiving and sending such stranded persons to their respective destinations. In case of movement beyond states or UTs, the sending and receiving states will need to consult each other and mutually agree to the movement by road.

These people would be screened and only those found asymptomatic would be allowed to proceed. On arrival at their destination, they would be assessed by local health authorities and kept in home or institutional quarantine, as required by the assessment, the order said.

In Maharashtra, home minister Anil Deshmukh said that his government is in talks with chief ministers of other states over facilitating the return of migrant workers to their native places in a planned manner.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said he is in touch with other state governments on the Home Ministry order and told migrant workers to stay put till he informs them about the final decision in one or two days.

Mumbai and Delhi are among major urban centres where a large number of workers from other states are stranded and have been demanding transport arrangements be made for them to go back to their native places.

Some states are said to be reluctant in allowing return of their natives from other places due to fears of infection.

New lockdown guidelines to come into force from 4 May

The MHA, in a review meet, also observed that tremendous gains had been made due to the lockdown and stressed that the lockdown guidelines need to be followed strictly till 3 May.

The ministry's spokesperson said that the new lockdown guidelines shall come into force from 4 May, under which "considerable relaxations" shall be given to many districts. "Details regarding this shall be communicated in the days to come," said the ministry.

Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said of the total active COVID-19 cases in the country, only 0.33 percent patients are on ventilators, 1.5 percent are on oxygen support and 2.34 percent are in ICU.

"Since the last three days, the doubling rate (of coronavirus cases) is 11.3 days in the country. Although the global mortality rate is around 7 percent, India has a mortality rate of around 3 percent, while around 86 percent deaths are of persons with co-morbidity," said Vardhan.

On Wednesday, the Central government also made it mandatory for its 48.34 lakh employees to download the 'Aarogya Setu' mobile app immediately and report to office only when it shows "safe" status for commuting. The app, developed by the government, helps people assess themselves on the risk of them contracting the  infection.

Drop in number of infection-free green zones

Earlier in the day, official sources told PTI that the number of COVID-19 hotspot districts in India has come down to 129 from 170 a fortnight ago, but in the same period the number of infection-free districts or green zones too decreased from 325 to 307.

During this time, the number of non-hotspot districts, also known as orange zones, increased from 207 to 297, they said.

The Centre had on 15 April classified districts into three categories. Those with high load of COVID-19 cases or which have a high growth rate of the disease are marked as hotspots or red zones, while those with considerably fewer cases of the respiratory infection fall in orange zone or non-hotspots. Districts with no COVID-19 cases are categorised as green zones.

However, a red zone or orange zone district can be demarcated as green zone if no new coronavirus case is reported from those places for 28 and 14 days, respectively.

UGC announces timeline for new academic session

The University Grants Commission (UGC), in the meantime, said that the new academic session for freshers will begin in universities from September and for already enrolled students in August.

It also advised universities to follow a six-day week pattern and devise proforma to record travel or stay history of staff members and students during the lockdown period.

Global count climbs to 31,42,942

Ever since its emergence in China last December, 31,42,942 persons have tested positive for the deadly virus infection worldwide while the 2,18,649 persons have died due to the disease, according to John Hopkins University data.

The US, which is among the worst hit globally with 1,015,289 cases, reported that its economy shrank at a 4.8 percent annual rate in the last quarter, triggering a recession that will end the country's longest ever expansion period.

Meanwhile, China which had begun to emerge from under the shadows of the infection, said that it will hold its annual parliament session from 22 May. Beijing, which recorded 593 coronavirus cases and nine deaths on Wednesday, closed the COVID-19 special hospital after clearing all the cases.

With inputs from agencies



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Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates: Odisha confirms 143 cases after new COVID-19 positive case in Balasore, one death so far; recovery rate at 27%

08:55 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

India confirms 35,043 COVID-19 cases with 1,147 deaths

India registered a total of 35,043 confirmed COVID-19 cases on Friday, according to the latest data by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The total number of deaths caused due to the novel coronavirus so far stood at 1,147. 

Of the total confirmed cases, 25,007 were active cases while one COVID-19 patient migrated. The recovery rate of the nation was at 25.4 percent with as many as 8888 COVID-19 patients being cured. 

08:49 (IST)

Coronavirus in China Latest Updates

Hubei reports no new COVID-19 cases for 27 consecutive days

No new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease were reported in central China's Hubei Province Thursday, the provincial health commission said Friday.

This marks that Hubei, the once hardest-hit Chinese province, has had no new confirmed COVID-19 cases for 27 consecutive days since 4 April. 

08:44 (IST)

Coronavirus in United States Latest Updates

Donald Trump asserts COVID-19 originated from virology lab in China's Wuhan

The novel coronavirus, that has killed over 230,000 people globally so far and has shattered economies, emerged from a virology lab in the Wuhan city of China, US President Donald Trump claimed Thursday with a high degree of confidence.

"Yes, I have. Yes, I have," Trump told reporters at the East Room of the White House when asked if he has seen anything at this point that gives him a high degree of confidence that the Wuhan Institute of Virology is where the virus originated.

The president, however, refuses to provide any details, except for saying that investigations are on and it would be out soon.

Read full article here...

08:11 (IST)

Coronavirus in Haryana Latest Updates

Entry to Faridabad banned till 3 May; some exceptions allowed

With a surge in COVID-19 cases, Faridabad has prohibited travel of government employees and laypersons from neighbouring states and districts.

In a prohibitory order under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), 1973, Faridabad District Commissioner Yash Pal said: "Travel of government employees and common people from neighbouring states and districts to Faridabad is prohibited. Doctors, paramedical staff, police and bank employees to be permitted on producing their identity cards, only till 12 pm on Wednesday."

There will be no restriction on the movement of ambulances.

08:06 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

33,610 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 1,075 deaths 

Amid the citizens gearing up for a staggered removal of the 40-day nationwide lockdown after 3 May, the total number of novel coronavirus cases in the country has increased to 33,610 after 1,823 fresh positive COVID-19 patients were reported in the past 24 hours. 

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 67 more deaths were reported since Thursday thereby, bringing the toll to 1,075.

07:56 (IST)

Coronavirus in Rajasthan Latest Updates

Congress MLA writes to Rajasthan CM on reopening of liquor shops

Congress MLA from Rajasthan's Sangod on Thursday wrote to chief minister Ashok Gehlot regarding reopening of liquor shops in the state. "When coronavirus can be removed by washing hands with alcohol, then drinking alcohol will surely remove virus from the throat," said Sangod in his letter. 

07:49 (IST)

Coronavirus in Odisha Latest Updates

One new COVID-19 case in Balasore dist take Odisha's overall count to 143

With one more individual testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Balasore district, the total confirmed cases in Odisha on Friday climbed to 143. The figure also includes 143 active COVID-19 cases. 

Balasore recorded as many as 20 confirmed COVID-19 cases so far. ​The total number of RT-PCR tests conducted in Odisha in past 24 hours stood at 2437.

07:41 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

In Photos: Social distancing rules flouted at Ghazipur wholesale fruit, vegetable markets

07:39 (IST)

Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates

J-K administration announces Rs 350 cr COVID-19 relief package

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has announced a Rs 350-crore package to mitigate hardships of people, particularly labourers and the destitute, during the coronavirus-triggered lockdown.

The administrative council, in its latest meeting under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu, has approved the relief package for various categories of people, Principal Secretary of Planning, Development and Monitoring and Information Rohit Kansal said.

"We are conscious of the fact that the lockdown has led to hardships to a number of people. The UT administration under the directions of the LG has been implementing a number of welfare measures for labourers, workers, the destitute, etc," he said.

Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: With one more individual testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Balasore district, the total confirmed cases in Odisha on Friday climbed to 143. The figure also includes 143 active COVID-19 cases.

Balasore recorded as many as 20 confirmed COVID-19 cases so far. ​The total number of RT-PCR tests conducted in Odisha in past 24 hours stood at 2437.

The number of coronavirus toll in India crossed 1,000 on Thursday after 67 new deaths were reported, and cases rose to 33,610 with 1,823 new infections in a day. State governments also began preparations to help lakhs of migrant workers and students reach their homes from different parts of the country, where they have been stranded for over a month due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

As people waited for further clarity on the government's next move on the nationwide lockdown, whose second phase ends this Sunday, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan said India should open up up its economy in a measured way soon to save jobs and estimated that Rs 65,000 crore would need to be spent to support the poor amid the crisis.

Interacting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi through video conferencing, Rajan said it is "all too easy to have a lockdown forever", but that is not sustainable for the economy and India does not have the capacity to support people across the spectrum for too long.

A medical worker takes a nasal swab of a person at a red zone area in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. AP

A medical worker takes a nasal swab of a person at a red zone area in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. AP

A nationwide lockdown has been in place since 25 March. Initially, it was announced for 21 days till 14 April, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi later extended it till 3 May, as a measure to contain the coronovirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, in the Union health ministy's daily briefing on Thursday, officials said that the recovery rate of COVID-19 patients has improved to nearly 25.2 percent, from about 13 percent a fortnight ago.

The ministry's evening update said that 1,075 people have died due to COVID-19 so far across the country after 67 deaths were reported since Wednesday evening.

However, a PTI tally of the toll reported by various states and union territories, as of 8.30 pm, showed at least 1,137 people have lost their lives while close to 34,500 people have been infected so far.

At the press briefing, Health Ministry joint secretary Lav Agarwal said that the current fatality rate among detected is 3.2 percent, with 65 percent being men and 35 percent women.

"If we divide it on the basis of age, then 14 percent fatality has been seen in those aged below 45 years, 34.8 percent between 45-60 years and 51.2 percent in those above 60 years," he said.

Agarwal further said that the recovery rate for COVID-19 has improved from 13.06 percent to over 25 percent in the past 14 days. He added that the doubling rate for COVID-19 cases has improved to 11 days as against 3.4 days before the lockdown was imposed.

Additionally, he said the doubling rate of COVID-19 cases was found to be between 11-20 days in Delhi (11.3), Uttar Pradesh (12), Jammu and Kashmir (12.2), Odisha (13), Rajasthan (17.8), Tamil Nadu (19.1) and Punjab (19.5).

A doubling rate of between 20-40 days was seen in Karnataka (21.6), Ladakh (24.2), Haryana (24.4), Uttarakhand (30.3) and Kerala (37.5), Agarwal said.

A doubling rate of over 40 days was noted in Assam (59), Telangana (70.8), Chhattisgarh (89.7) and Himachal Pradesh (191.6), he added.

Speaking about testing being scaled up, Agarwal said starting with one single laboratory, the RT-PCR tests are now available in 292 government and 97 private facilities across the country.

"On Wednesday, 58,686 tests were performed and if you see the average number of tests performed each day in the last five days, it comes to 49,800 tests. It is important to understand that whatever capacity is needed, we have progressively increased it," he said.

COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra cross 10,000-mark, Gujarat reports 313 new patients

Maharashtra alone saw its tally crossing 10,000 with 583 new cases during the day, while 27 more people died. The state tops the nationwide tally with a total 10,498 confirmed cases and 459 deaths so far. Mumbai alone now accounts for 6,874 confirmed cases and 290 deaths.

Gujarat also saw its tally of confirmed cases rising by 313 to 4,395, while 17 more people died on Thursday to take the state's death toll to 214. Ahmedabad reported more than 3,000 cases and 149 deaths.

Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka and West Bengal also reported new cases.

There are more than 24,000 active patients across the country, while more than 8,300 people have recovered and one patient has migrated. The total number of cases include 111 foreign nationals.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said India is doing better compared to other countries on all parameters in its fight against COVID-19 and should be able to win this decisive war in the coming few weeks.

About 60,000 foreign nationals from 72 countries have also been evacuated from India, while the issue of evacuation of Indians stranded abroad is also under discussion, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

States take steps to facilitate movement of stranded people

Several states, in the meantime, announced steps they were taking for facilitating the movement of migrant workers and students, stranded in various cities due to the lockdown, to help them reach their respective native places, in line with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines announced on Wednesday. Some states have already brought back some migrant workers from other places.

The Madhya Pradesh government said it has brought back over 20,000 migrant labourers, who were stranded in other states due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath asked officials to ready quarantine centres, shelter homes and community kitchens as the state readied for the return of migrant workers stranded in different parts of the country.

Maharashtra issued a notification designating all the district collectors as the nodal authority for the movement of stranded people into or outside the state and also within the state, while the Gujarat government appointed 16 bureaucrats as nodal officers to facilitate the movement of such people across borders.

The Kerala government renewed its demand for special non-stop trains to transport those who are keen to leave for their respective states. There are 3.60 lakh workers in over 20,000 camps in the state and majority of them, hailing from West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, wanted to return home.

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh also urged the prime minister to arrange special trains for transportation of migrant workers, while he directed all deputy commissioners to prepare data of migrant labourers stranded in the state due to the lockdown.

As per the MHA order, buses will be used for transporting those stranded, and these vehicles will be sanitised and will have to follow safe social distancing norms on seating. A senior official said all states and UTs will have to "strictly follow" these guidelines.

While the movement of trucks is already allowed for transportation of goods during the lockdown, the MHA separately clarified that no separate passes are required for their inter-state movement, including for those carrying goods or returning after delivery, and licence of the driver is enough.

There have been reports that movement of trucks is not allowed freely and local authorities insist upon separate passes at inter-state borders in different parts of the country.

Over 30 million Americans file for unemployment benefits

Bleak new figures on Thursday underscored the worldwide economic pain inflicted by the coronavirus: The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits has climbed past a staggering 30 million, while Europe’s economies are in an epic slide, AP reported.

The statistics are likely to turn up the pressure on politicians to ease the lockdowns that have closed factories and other businesses.

In the US, the government reported that 3.8 million laid-off workers applied for jobless benefits last week, raising the total to about 30.3 million in the six weeks since the outbreak took hold. The layoffs amount to 1 in 6 American workers and encompass more people than the entire population of Texas.

Some economists say that when the US unemployment rate for April comes out next week, it could be as high as 20 percent — a figure not seen since the Depression of the 1930s, when joblessness peaked at 25 percent.

The virus has killed over 2,20,000 people worldwide, including more than 61,000 in the US, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Confirmed infections globally topped 3.2 million, with 1 million of them in the US, but the true numbers are believed to be much higher because of limited testing, differences in counting the dead and concealment by some governments.

With inputs from agencies



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