Coronavirus Outbreak updates: Confirmed cases in India at 3113, says ICMR; Rajasthan registers 25 new cases

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00:07 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Update

Three IAF personnel under quarantine; one had visited Nizamuddin area in mid-March

Three personnel of the Indian Air Force (IAF) are under a precautionary quarantine presently as one of them had visited the Nizamuddin area around the same time the Tablighi Jamaat meeting was happening there last month, PTI quotes an IAF spokesperson as saying.
 
"This person had gone to the Nizamuddin area around the same time this Jamaat meeting was taking place. Whether he attended this Jamaat meeting or not is under investigation by the Indian Air Force," the spokesperson said. "He has come in contact with two other Air Force personnel. All three of them are asymptomatic. All three under quarantine right now," he added

00:04 (IST)

Coronavirus in Turkey Latest Update

Toll in Turkey crosses 500

Turkey’s health minister reported 76 new COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll in the country to 501, reports AP. Fahrettin Koca also raised the total number of COVID-19 infections to 23,934, reporting 3,013 more confirmed cases on Saturday. There are 1,311 patients in intensive care units across the country, with 909 of them intubated.

A total of 786 people have recovered from novel coronavirus infections, according to the figures the health minister posted on Twitter

23:56 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

Delhi govt to issue transit passes to foreigners stranded in city

The Delhi government will issue transit passes for foreigners stranded in the city due to the lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, a government note said. Chief Secretary Vijay Dev, who is also chairperson of the state executive committee of Delhi, on Friday issued an making a provision for transit arrangements for foreign nationals and release of quarantined persons. The order was issued by him under the DDMA Act, 2005, 
 
According to the standard operating procedure drawn for the purpose, in case of stranded foreign nationals, the foreign government concerned in consultation with the civil aviation ministry will arrange for chartered flight and screening for COVID- 19 symptoms as per protocol prior to departure, the note said.  Local transportation will be provided by the embassy concerned and transit passes will be issued by district magistrates.  The note said a detailed protocol has been provided for persons to be released after completion of specified and mandatory quarantine period. 
 
In such a situation no person of any group will be released where even one person tests positive for COVID-19, it said. "Only those foreign nationals will be allowed to leave who are asymptomatic for COVID-19. In case of symptomatic persons the future course of treatment would be followed as per the standard health protocol," the note said. The order also provides for the travel of people who have returned from foreign locations after February 15 and completed specified mandatory quarantine period and had to return to their homes from quarantine facilities after being tested negative for COVID–19. 
PTI

23:52 (IST)

Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates

 Jammu and Kashmir admin launches website to counter fake news

A website to counter fake news and misinformation regarding COVID-19 pandemic was launched by the Jammu and Kashmir administration, reports PTI.“Our initiative is to help you counter fake news,” the DIPR said. The website link, www.diprjkfactcheck.in , was shared on twitter by DIPPR director Syed Shehrish Asgar.
 
The DIPR said spreading fake news, misinformation and fearmongering can land a person in jail besides it is a punishable offense and knowingly or unknowingly forwarding any fake news is a crime.  It said the citizens can report any fake news, misinformation, fear/hate message on the new website.

23:49 (IST)

Coronavirus in Spain Latest Update

Spain to extend state of emergency to April even as rise in infections slows

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday he would ask parliament to extend lockdown measures by 15 days until April 26, even as the rate of new coronavirus infections and deaths slowed again in one of the world’s worst-hit countries, reports Reuters. 

“We are at the start of the decrease in the epidemic. We are stronger than we think but we have to endure. With sacrifice, resistance and the spirit of victory,” Sanchez said, adding that some economic restrictions would be lifted after Easter. “We are not going to extend the standstill of economic activity,” he said. Shops, bars and restaurants will, however, remain closed.

23:43 (IST)

Coronavirus in Arunachal Pradesh Latest Update

Markaz participant tests positive in Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Police has traced 23 persons who went to Nizamuddin Markaz, out of which pne has tested positive for COVID19, ANI quotes  RP Upadhyaya, Arunachal Pradesh DGP as saying.

 

23:43 (IST)

Coronavirus in Arunachal Pradesh Latest Update

Markaz participant tests positive in Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Police has traced 23 persons who went to Nizamuddin Markaz, out of which pne has tested positive for COVID19, ANI quotes  RP Upadhyaya, Arunachal Pradesh DGP as saying.

 

23:28 (IST)

Coronavirus in Rajasthan Latest Update

Rajasthan tally reaches 204

25 COVID19 positive cases were reported in Rajasthan, including 12  who attended Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 204, ANI quotes the Rajasthan Health Department as saying.

 

23:15 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Update

COVID-19 count at 3,113 in India, says ICMR

As per  the 9 pm update issued by the ICMR, a total of 11,182 samples were tested on Saturday. Of these, 324 tested positive taking the number of confirmed cases in the country to 3,113.

 

23:07 (IST)

Coronavirus in Odisha Latest Update

Kalahandi man tests positive, total rises to 21

A 29 year man from Kalahandi district who displayed no symptoms associated with COVID-19 but had a travel history to Bahrain tested positive for the virus, taking the total number of cases in the state to 21, said the health department. Till date, 1,699 people have undergone coronavirus tests in the state, it said.

22:55 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Update

DRDO develops disinfection chamber

A unit of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has designed a full-body disinfection chamber for healthcare workers who are in the forefront of battle against coronavirus, it said on Saturday. The walk-through enclosure is a portable system equipped with sanitizer and soap dispenser. "The decontamination is started using a foot pedal at the entry. On entering the chamber, anelectrically operated pump creates a disinfectant mist of hyposodium chloride for disinfecting," the DRDO release said. "The mist spray is calibrated for the operation of 25 seconds and stops automatically...personnel undergoing disinfection will need to keep their eyes closed while insidethe chamber," it said. Some 650 personnel can pass through the chamber for disinfection until a refill of sanitizing solution is needed.

PTI

22:42 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update

Two senior health officials test positive in Bhopal

 Madhya Pradesh Principal Health Secretary and a deputy director, both women, were tested positive to novel coronavirus on Saturday, taking the COVID-19 tally to 179 which included 25 fresh cases being reported in the last 24 hours, PTI quotes officials as saying. Interestingly, the principal secretary-level officer had on Saturday issued a video bulletin of the state's COVID-19 scenario. The deputy director, also a doctor, who tested positive was actively involved in handling the coronavirus crisis in the state, a health bulletin stated. A total of ten areas in Bhopal where these officials are living are declared as containment zones, officials said. So far, three health officials have tested positive for the virus in the state.

22:38 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates

Narendra Modi phones Spanish president

Continuing his phone calls to different world leaders to join forces for a combined fight against the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had "conveyed his deepest condolences over the tragic loss of life" to Spain's president HE Pedro Sanchez.

 

22:31 (IST)

Coronavirus in Telangana Latest Updates

43 new cases in Telangana, count over 270

43 fresh COVID19 cases were recorded in Telangana,taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 272, including 33 patients cured/discharged and 11 deaths. Total active cases stand at 228, the Telangana Health Department said in a statement. There is no evidence of community spread in Telangana, it said.

22:22 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

 

CRPF DG Maheshwari goes into self quarantine after indirect contact with COVID-19 positive doctor

 
CRPF chief AP Maheshwari has undertaken self quarantine after he had an indirect contact with a doctor in the paramilitary who had tested positive for coronavirus,PTI quotes officials as saying. "A CRPF officer had tested positive for COVID-19. All personnel in contact with the officer have been quarantined. The DG CRPF had an indirect contact with the officer and as per protocol, he is observing quarantine," CRPF spokesperson DIG Moses Dhinakaran said.
Another official said the Director General (DG) of the country's largest paramilitary force with about 3.25 lakh personnel in its ranks went into self quarantine as per protocol and he is in constant touch with his officers over various operational issues including the fight against COVID-19.

22:09 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

Manish Sisodia demands funds from Centre

 

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia demanded a disaster fund from the Centre to fight the coronavirus outbreak in Delhi, saying the number of cases here was the third-highest in the country.  In a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Sisodia said that while the Centre released over Rs 17,000 crore to the states from its disaster fund, not a single rupee was given to Delhi, reports PTI.
At this critical juncture, the people of Delhi expect a fair and equal treatment by the government, he wrote in the letter, pointing out that the number of cases here was the third-highest in the country. "In India's fight against COVID-19, we all stand united and the people of Delhi do not deserve stepmotherly treatment from the Government of India," Sisodia further wrote.

21:59 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Maharashtra tally reaches 635

145 persons were diagnosed with COVID-19 in Maharashtra, taking the total number of coronavirus patients in the state  to 635, PTI quotes health officials as saying.

21:51 (IST)

Coronavirus in UK Latest Updates

5-yr-old boy dies of coronavirus in UK; toll reaches 4,313

A 5-year-old boy with pre-existing underlying health issues is the UK's youngest COVID-19 victim as the country's death toll in the coronavirus pandemic rose by 708 in 24 hours to hit 4,313 on Saturday, said a PTI report. 

UK Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove revealed the latest death toll during the daily Downing Street briefing, during which he reiterated the government's plea for the public to continue to strictly observe social distancing over what is set to be a pleasant weekend. "If we weigh up an hour or two outside and weigh it against the lives of those we love and the lives of those on the NHS (National Health Service) frontline, then it should be clear, I hope to all that we should follow the advice," said Gove.​

A statement from the NHS on the latest deaths in England said that patients were aged between five years and 104 years old.

21:42 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Nine persons diagnosed with COVID-19 in Pune district

 
Nine new coronavirus patients were detected in the Pune district taking the total number of COVID-19 cases to 83,PTI quotes a health official as saying. Eight cases were found in Pune city while one was reported in neighbouring Pimpri Chinchwad, said Dr Bhagwan Pawar, district health officer.

21:40 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Shining torches won't solve problem, says Rahul Gandhi

 
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi strongly criticised the prime minister's call to switch off lights and light candles or hold torches for 9 minutes on Sunday, saying that this won't solve the country's problems. "India is simply not testing enough to fight the Covid19 virus (sic)," he said. 

21:22 (IST)

Coronavirus in US Latest Updates

New York sees biggest single-day jump in deaths, toll rises to 3,565

The state of New Yok on Saturday witnessed the largest single-day increase in deaths as the state reported 630 deaths, AFP reported Govermor Andrew Cuomo as saying. According to the news agency, the state now has 1,13,704 positive cases, of which  63,306  are in New York City —just 6,000 short of hard-hit Italy's total.

 

21:18 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

ICMR issues new testing advisory: report

The Indian Council of Medical Research has issued an advisory for starting rapid blood tests in areas reporting large cluster outbreaks or in large migration gatherings or evacuee centres , reports the Indian Express.

21:11 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates

Narendra Modi calls up Jair Bolsanaro over COVID-19 fight

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had productive talks with Brazil president Jair Bolsanaro about a combined fight against the novel coronavirus. Earlier, the prime minister had held similar talks with US president Donald Trump.

 

20:58 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Update

Shops to be closed between 5pm-5am in Maharashtra's Bhiwandi

Shops selling essential items including vegetables will remain closed from 5pm to 5am in Bhiwandi in Thane district to stop people from violating
lockdown norms in place for the novel coronavirus outbreak, PTI quotes Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajkumar Shinde as saying. He said the decision was taken as people were seen loitering around while claiming to be shopping for essentials.

20:54 (IST)

Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Update

Tally reaches 27 in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar

COVID19 cases reach 27 in Srinagar district of Jammu and Kashmir, reports ANI. "Over 300 contacts of the infected people have been placed under quarantine. Some areas being isolated for extensive screening,: ANI quotes district magistrate Shahid Choudhary as saying.

20:45 (IST)

Coronavirus inHimachal Pradesh Latest Update

Himachal Pradesh govt bans sale of chewing gum for three months

The Himachal Pradesh government has prohibited the sale and use of chewing gum for three months, reports PTI. COVID-19 is transmitted through droplets and there is a possibility of transmission by spitting chewing gums, said Food Safety commissioner and additional chief secretary (Health) RD Dhiman.
The sale and use of chewing gum, bubble gum and similar products would remain prohibited till 30 June in public interest, he told PTI.

20:38 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Update

Seven more cases detected in Rajasthan's Jodhpur

"Seven more cases have been reported in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan, taking total cases in the district to 17. The new cases are contacts of other infected people,: ANI quotes Jodhpur District Collector Prakash Rajpurohit as saying.

20:29 (IST)

Coronavirus in Punjab Latest Updates

Punjab announces 50 lakh insurance cover for policemen, sanitation workers

The Punjab government has announced special health insurance cover of Rs 50 lakhs each for police personnel and sanitation workers.Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has also ordered expenditure cuts by all government departments to meet urgent expenses needed to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. Addtionaly, all retiring health department workers are also slated to get a three-month extension.

 

20:19 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

52 new cases in Mumbai, says BMC

According to a statement released by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, 52 persons were diagnosed with COVID-19 in Mumbai, taking the city total to 330. Four patients also died, taking the toll to 22. Fourteen patients were discharged during the day, said the statement. 

 

20:17 (IST)

Delhi's tally crosses 445 as 40 new cases reported today

 

The number of coronavirus cases stood at 445 in Delhi but the situation was under control and there was no community transmission, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday. Out of the 445, 301 people had attended the Markaz event in Nizamuddin.There were 40 cases of local transmission while a majority of other patients either had foreign travel history or they were recently evacuated from Nizamuddin Markaz, he said. 

19:51 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates

Narendra Modi holds telephonic conversation with Donald Trump

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump held a detailed discussion on the situation arising out of the coronavirus outbreak and resolved to deploy the full strength of the India-US partnership to fight the pandemic. 
 
"The prime minister conveyed deep condolences for the loss of lives in the United States, and his prayers for early recovery of those still suffering from the disease, : said a press release issued the Press Information Bureau. 
 
The prime minister and the US President exchanged notes on the respective steps taken in each country for mitigating the health and economic impacts of the pandemic and agreed that concerned officials would keep in touch, said the release.

 Stressing the special relationship between the two countries, the prime minister reiterated India’s solidarity with the USA in overcoming this global crisis together. .
 
The US has so far confirmed 278,458 cases of COVID-19 and more than 7,100 deaths. India has 3,072 coronavirus cases and has reported 75 deaths.
 

19:45 (IST)

Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates

Second COVID-19 death in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu reported its second COVID-19 death as a 51-year-old man who returned after attending the Tablighi Jamat congregation in Delhi, died at a
hospital in Villupuram, PTI quotes the health department as saying.The man was admitted to the Villupuram medical college hospital on his return after he showed symptoms of having contracted the virus, the department said in a bulletin.He died this morning due to difficulty in breathing, it said.

 

19:39 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Confirmed cases surge to 3,072

According to the latest data released by the Union health ministry, the total number of confirmed cases in India has surged to 3,072. This includes 65 foreigners and 132 people who have been cured/discharged. The highest number of cases has been reported in Maharashtra (490) followed by Delhi (445). 75 persons have lost their lives to the disease.

19:32 (IST)

Coronavirus in Punjab Latest Updates

Patients at Amritsar govt hospital complain of negligence, alleges Karsimrat Kaur Badal

 
"After the tragic death of Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa ji, now 3 of his family members who have tested psotive for COVID-19 have complained that they are suffering from the same medical negligence in Amritsar govt hospital," said  Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal asking Union hekath minister Harsh Vardhan to intervene.

19:16 (IST)

Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Updates

 

11 test positive in Kerala, 254 active cases

Eleven more persons in Kerala tested positive for coronavirus, taking the active cases to 254 and 1.71 lakh people are under survillence in the state.
Of the affected, six are from Kasaragod, Kollam, and one each from Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Palakkad and Kannur​ districts, Health minister, K K Shailaja said. While five of the positive cases had come from Dubai, three are Tablighi Jamaat event participants and one person had returned from Nagpur, a government press release quoting the minister said.
 
Kerala has so far reported 306 positive cases.
 
PTI

19:07 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

Delhi Police have registered FIR against 66,000 people for lockdown violation, says official

The Delhi Police have till date registered FIRs against 66,000 people under Delhi Police Act for violating the lockdown imposed to control the spread of the coronavirus, ANI quotes a police official as saying. Police PRO MS Randhawa also said that 3350 FIRs have been lodged under Section 188 of IPC, 10,000 vehicles impounded, adding that around 40 FIRs lodged against the violators of home quarantine: 
 
Delhi has till now reported 445 COVID-19 cases.
 

18:59 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

I-T department extends deadline for TDS form submission by three months

The Income Tax Department has extended the deadline for the submission of forms 15G and 15H for the current fiscal by three months to claim exemption from Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) on interest income, reports ANI.. The forms are filed by people whose income is below the taxable threshold. They are usually submitted by taxpayers to banks and financial institutions in April.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said the 15G and 15H forms submitted in last fiscal year will remain valid till 30June as the coronavirus pandemic has caused severe disruption in the normal working of almost all sectors of the economy, including banks and other institutions. It said that in such a situation, some individuals may not be able to submit the forms timely and this will result in deduction of TDS even when there is no tax liability.

18:55 (IST)

Coronavirus in India  Latest Updates

MoS Home assures support to four CAPF personnel who tested positive 

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G KIshan Reddy said that he enquired after the well-being of four CAPF personnel who had earlier tested positive for the coronavirus.

https://twitter.com/kishanreddybjp

18:46 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Protocols in place to handle load fluctuation due to blackout, assure govt

The government  sought to assuage fears of electricity grid instability due to simultaneous switching on and off of most lights in the country, saying adequate protocols are in place to handle the variation in demand without causing any damage to appliances. Several states shot off letters to power utilities to take steps to deal with the possibility of a sudden drop in electricity demand, which has already dipped by 25 per cent to 125.81 gigawatts due to the lockdown shutting down most businesses. 
 
The power ministry in a statement also said the call was only for voluntary switching off the lights, and appliances such as computers, TV, refrigerators and ACs are to function normally.  Also, lights in all essential services including hospitals, police stations and manufacturing facilities as well as street lights are not to be switched off, it said.
 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked citizens to switch off lights for nine minutes at 9 pm on Sunday and light candles and torches to "challenge the darkness” of the coronavirus crisis that has forced a three-week country-wide lockdown. 
 

18:39 (IST)

Coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh Latest Updates

Andhra Pradesh reports 10 new cases

According to data released by the Andhra Pradesh health department, 10 new COVID-19 cases were reported today, taking the tally to 190.

18:33 (IST)

Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates

Tamil Nadu reports 74 fresh cases

Tamil Nadu recorded 74 new coronavirus cases, taking the total to 485, ANI quotes states health secretary Beela Rajesh as saying. 73 of the new cases are linked to the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi, she said.

 

18:25 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Two more cases detected in Mumbai's Dharavi

Two fresh cases were reported in Mumbai's Dharavi, reports News18. A 20 year old-woman in Baliganagar and a 48 year old man from Mukundnagar tested positive, taking the total number of cases reported from the area to four.

 

18:09 (IST)

Coronavirus in Karnataka Latest Updates

126 patients stable, says Karnataka health ministry

 
Out of 129 active cases in the state, 126 COVID-19 positive patients (including 1 pregnant woman) are in isolation at designated hospitals are stable while three patients are the in ICU (two on ventilator support and one on oxygen), the Karnataka health department said.

18:07 (IST)

Coronavirus in Karnataka Latest Updates

Karnataka tally rises to 144

According to data released by the Karnataka health department, 16 new cases were reported in the state, takin the total to144, including four deaths and 11 people who have been discharged/cured.

18:00 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

COVID19 testing, treatment now free under PMJAY

The government has decided to make the testing and treatment for COVID-19 available under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PM JAY), reports quoted the National Health Authority as saying. Testing and treatment of is already available for free in the public facilities. Now, more than 50 crore citizens, eligible under the Government of India’s health assurance scheme will be able to avail free testing through private labs and treatment for COVID -19 in empaneled hospitals, said Union health minister Harsh Vardhan and urged private labs and hospitals to join the efforts taken by the government.

17:50 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

40 of 445 COVID-19 cases in Delhi due to local transmission, says Arvind Kejriwal

"In Delhi, there are only 40 COVID19 positive cases out of 445 that occurred  because of contact between people (local transmission), other cases are due to foreign travel and Nizamuddin Markaz, said  Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. He also said that six death have been reported in that National Capital of which five persons were above the age of 60.

17:42 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

71 lakh people given free ration: Arvind Kejriwal

Kejriwal said that 71 lakh people were being given free ration in Delhi  and over 6. 63 people have been given lunch. He added  that those who had applied for ration cards would also be given free ratio ration and encouraged people to apply for the same through a website

17:39 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

 Ready to do whatever it takes to stop spread of corona: Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that he will do whatever it takes to stop the spread of coronavirus in the National Capital and said that the govt was also geared towards reducing the number of deaths among people who test positive.

17:27 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates

'Proud of you!': Pakistan ATC praises Air India

 Air India recently found a rather unexpected praise from an Air Traffic Controller (ATC) of- Pakistan, reports ANI.  Air India was operating special flights from India to Frankfurt with relief materials and evacuated European nationals, who were stranded in India.

"As we entered in the Pakistan's Flight Information Region (FIR) and the Pakistan Air Traffic Controller (ATC) greeted us 'Assalaam Alaikum!' This is Karachi's control welcoming Air India for relief flights to Frankfurt," a senior captain quoted the Pakistan ATC as saying. After the pilot confirmed that e was flying relief material to Frankfurt, the Pakistan ATC showered praise on Air India.  "We are proud of you that in a pandemic situation you are operating flights, Good Luck!"

17:21 (IST)

Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Updates

Kerala to begin rapid testing tomorrow, says KK Shailaja

"Nine labs are conducting polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests in Kerala. We've received 2000 rapid test kits and will start rapid tests from tomorrow. If a person tests positive in rapid test, we need to confirm it with the PCR test," ANI quotes state health minister KK Shailaja as saying.
 

Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST updates:  As per  the 9 pm update issued by the ICMR, a total of 11,182 samples were tested on Saturday. Of these, 324 tested positive taking the number of confirmed cases in the country to 3,113.

 

Madhya Pradesh Principal Health Secretary and a deputy director, both women, were tested positive to novel coronavirus on Saturday, taking the COVID-19 tally to 179.

As many as 145 persons were confirmed to have coronavirus infection in Maharashtra onSaturday, taking the number of patients to 635, an official statement said.

The state of New Yok on Saturday witnessed the largest single-day increase in deaths as it reported 630 deaths, said a report.

According to a statement released by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, 52 persons were diagnosed with COVID-19 in Mumbai, taking the city total to 330. Four patients also died, taking the toll to 22.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump held a detailed discussion on the situation arising out of the coronavirus outbreak and resolved to deploy the full strength of the India-US partnership to fight the pandemic.

According to the latest data released by the Union health ministry, the total number of confirmed cases in India has surged to 3,072. This includes 65 foriegners and 132 people who have been cured/discharged.

Tamil Nadu recorded 74 new coronavirus cases, taking the total to 485, ANI quotes states health secretary Beela Rajesh as saying. 73 of the new cases are linked to the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi, she said.

 

'More than 50 crore poor and vulnerable citizens shall henceforth be eligible for free COVID19 testing & treatment under the Ayushman Bharat PMJAY scheme. Testing at private labs and treatment in designated hospitals now made free for Ayushman beneficiaries across India,' said Harsh Vardhan

 'Delhi has 40 cases of local transmission out of the confirmed 445 cases,' said Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

A health ministry official said that 1,023 cases across 17 states have been found to be linked to the Tablighi Jamaat event held in Delhi in March. An MHA official added that around 22,000 Tablighi Jamaat workers and their contacts have been quarantined across the country.

Giving a age-wise break up of Coronavirus patients in the country,  Lav Aggrawal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, said: "Nine per cent COVID19 patients belong to 0-20 years age, 42 percent patients belong to 21-40 years age, 33 percent cases pertain to patients between 41-60 years age, and 17 percent patients have crossed 60 years of age."

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said permission was earlier given to conduct Tableeghi Jamaat event in the state but it was later denied owing to the rising COVID-19 cases.

"We didn’t let what happened in Delhi happen in Maharashtra. Tableeghi Jamaat event was permitted earlier, but later looking at the situation we denied permission. Authorities now have traced all those went to the Delhi event from our state," said Thackeray.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to switch off lights for nine minutes on Sunday at 9 pm has raised fears about power grid failure due to a sudden drop and surge in demand during the exercise.

Senior Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, who was earlier Minister of State for Power, raised concern saying, "As somebody who has been associated with the power sector for almost three decades including as minister, the call to go dark for 9 minutes at 9 pm on the 5 April can have a deep impact on the grid and its stability. I sincerely hope this is being properly managed."

In its effort to fight against COVID-19, Self Help Groups (SHGs) members in 24 States have initiated the production of face masks under the Ministry of Rural Development’s National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). More than 132 lakh face masks have been produced by members of SHGs.

"21,028 members of 4,281 SHGs in 5 districts of Andhra Pradesh and 10,780 members of 1,927 SHGs in 32 districts of Tamil Nadu produced 25,41,440 and 26,01,735 masks respectively in 10 days. Members of SHGs of various states like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and many North Eastern states are also involved in producing masks. Total 65,936 SHG members from 14,522 SHGs are involved and together they have manufactured 132 lakh masks," read the press release.

Five new positive cases of COVID-19 were reported on Saturday, taking the tally to 55 in the region. According to an NDTV journalist, 31 of the 55 fresh cases were related to one company.

The new cases include four from JJ colony sector 4 while one is from Wajidpur. Both the vicinities are temporary sealed and sanitised.

Tamil Nadu recorded its second COVID-19 death on Saturday after a 51-year-old man who attended the Tablighi Jaamat conference in Delhi's Nizammudin Markaz succumbed to the disease at Villupuram Government Medical College Hospital.

After 47 fresh coronovirus positive cases were reported in Maharashtra, the state surpassed the 500-mark in its COVID-19 tally. The number stood at 537 as of Saturday.

Mumbai recorded the highest number with 28 cases, 15 in Thane district, one in Amravati, two in Pune and one in Pimpri Chinchwad, said the Maharashtra Health Department.

With five more individuals testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Jodhpur on Saturday, Rajasthan's tally of confirmed cases is at 196. This figure also includes 41 Tablighi Jamaat attendees, said the state health department.

An FIR has been registered against 12 Bangladesh citizens who attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month and are now in administrative quarantine in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district, police said on Saturday.

With 15 new positive cases, the COVID-19 tally in Odisha on Saturday climbed to 20, said the State Health and Family Welfare Department. Out of the 15, seven persons were in close contact with the coronavirus patient from Suryanagar, which include his wife, daughter and tenants.

Twenty-five more coronavirus positive cases were confirmed in Agra, taking the total number of cases to 45 in the district, Agra District Magistrate Prabhu N Singh told ANI on Saturday.

A sixty-year-old coronavirus positive woman with no travel history dies in Rajasthan's Bikaner hospital, officials told PTI. Rajasthan reported 12 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, out of which 8 of them have been linked to people who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi's Nizamuddin area last month.

A person from St Estevam with foreign travel history has tested positive for COVID-19. The total number of positive cases in Goa rises to 7, Goa health minister Vishwajit Rane told ANI on Saturday.

A 75-year-old man has succumbed to coronavirus in Karnataka's Bagalkote, taking the death toll in the state to four, officials said. The victim, who was a trader and did not have any travel history, died on Friday.

India registered the highest spike in new coronavirus cases in 24 hours on Friday with 478 new patients testing positive and 12 succumbing to the virus. The Tablighi Jamaat cluster remained in focus on Friday even as confirmed cases jumped to 2,547 according to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Of the total cases reported by the MOHFW, 2,322 are active cases while 163 have been either discharged, cured or migrated while 62 have died due to the virus.

Residents stand in a queue to receive food distributed by the police during lockdown in Hyderabad. AP

However, according to PTI, the nationwide tally crossed 3,000 on Friday with at least 90 dead as states confirmed over 500 new cases.

Typically, there has been a lag between the numbers reported by the Centre and by states, which officials have been attributing to procedural delays.

At least 211 people have recovered across the country so far, as per updates from various states. The states also reported a total number of confirmed infection to be 3,041, after the country saw the highest jump in new cases.

At least 14 fresh deaths were reported by various states in the day, including six in Maharashtra alone, to take the overall nationwide toll to 90.

As per state-reported data, Maharashtra continued to lead on Friday with 490 confirmed cases, followed by Tamil Nadu with 411 cases. While 26 people have died in Maharashtra, 11 have lost lives in Telangana.

At least 11 CISF personnel in the state have contracted coronavirus at Panvel near Mumbai, a local civic official said on Friday.

Delhi's tally of confirmed cases has risen to 386, after 93 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, while six have died in the city.

These three states were also among those reporting new cases, while fresh deaths were also reported from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh among others.

Recent spike due to Tablighi Jamaat cluster, says Centre

The spike in numbers, according to the Centre, was largely due to more samples from the Tablighi Jamaat cluster testing positive.

As many as 647 positive coronavirus cases have been reported so far from across 14 states whose linkage can be traced to the Tablighi Jamaat cluster at Nizamuddin, the Centre said on Friday.

The government had on Thursday said that it has traced epidemiological linkage to the Tablighi Jamaat cluster in about 400 cases.

"The cases can be traced in Andaman and Nicobar, Assam, Delhi, Himachal, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh," Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Friday.

The Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi has emerged as a hotspot for COVID-19 after several positive cases from across India were linked to the gathering including deaths in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana.

An FIR was earlier registered against Tablighi Jamaat head Maulana Saad and others under the Epidemic Disease Act 1897, in the national capital.

UP, MP invoke NSA against those misbehaving with health workers

Amid reports of attacks and misbehaviour with doctors and medical staff from some parts of the country, officials said the Home Ministry has asked states to take strict action against people allegedly abusing health workers.

In Madhya Pradesh, the Indore district administration invoked the National Security Act (NSA) against four men involved in the alleged attack on health workers in the city.

In Uttar Pradesh also, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said this stringent act will be invoked against quarantined Tablighi Jamaat members accused of misbehaving with the nursing staff at a Ghaziabad hospital.

Uttar Pradesh Power Minister Shrikant Sharma on Friday alleged that Tablighi Jamaat members tried to "hide themselves" in parts of the country in an "attempt" to spread the coronavirus disease while termign the Ghaziabad hospital incident as "disgraceful and condemnable".

In the national capital also, doctors from some hospitals, where the Tablighi Jamaat members are admitted, have complained to the Delhi government about their non-cooperation with the medical staff.

Five people have been arrested in Bengaluru also for allegedly manhandling health workers conducting a coronavirus survey, PTI said.

Modi asks citizens to light lamps on Sunday; Congress slams PM

After nine days of the 21-day nationwide lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also released a video message, in which he asked people to continue following social distancing and stay indoors, as he urged everyone to switch off the lights at their homes and light up lamps, candles or mobile phone torches for nine minutes at 9 pm on 5 April to display the country's "collective resolve" to defeat coronavirus.

There have been indications that the lockdown would be eased in a phased manner after the 21-day period ends on 14 April.

The main opposition party Congress, however, said Modi failed to address critical questions on India's fight against COVID-19 in his message, dubbing it as "just a feel-good moment curated by India's photo-op prime minister".

Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Friday slammed the prime minister for not addressing a press conference on coronavirus, unlike other world leaders.

"Today's speech had nothing on coronavirus figures, medical infrastructure, migrant workers. etc. However, the prime minister asks people to light lamps. He is the only leader who has not addressed a single press conference on the coronavirus outbreak," Chavan said.

The BJP, however, asked its workers to spread Modi's appeal among the masses.

The opposition leaders also referred to hardships being faced by the people during the lockdown and the economic cost of it.

India GDP to grow at 2%: FITCH Ratings

Meanwhile, Fitch Ratings said India may post a GDP growth of 2 percent in the current fiscal, the slowest since the economy was liberalised 30 years back, while the stock market suffered another day of meltdown and the rupee slumped 53 paise to slip below the 76-mark against the US dollar.

The rating agency also projected that the global economy will fall into a deep recession in 2020 due to the massive disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with growth print contracting by 1.9 percent, pulled down by a larger contraction in the US and the Eurozone.

Leading industry chamber the Confederation of Indian Industry said the pandemic would have a debilitating impact on India's tourism sector with an estimated overall loss of Rs 5 lakh crore and job cuts for 4-5 crore people.

The World Bank, in the meantime, announced an emergency funding of $1 billion for India to help it tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

Support appeared pouring in from several other quarters as well, with more than 31,000 doctors, including retired government and Armed Forces Medical Services, and private physicians volunteering to help the government fight against COVID-19 pandemic, a senior government official said.

Supply of testing kits remain an issue; IMCR suggests rapid testing in hotspots

An ICMR official separately said 182 labs across the country are functional now for COVID-19 diagnosis, out of which 130 are government labs. Around 8,000 samples were tested for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, he added.

However, a BloombergQuint report on Friday claimed that several of the accredited private testing labs are facing a shortage of foreign-made testing kits while "red tape is slowing the deployment of locally made test kits"

Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in an advisory, has also recommended the use of a rapid antibody test in the country's coronavirus hotspots.

In Maharashtra, the state government said more than nine lakh people have been surveyed for coronavirus symptoms under the state government's 'cluster containment action plan', which started areas where three or more patients were found.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan announced that the trauma centre at Dr RML Hospital will function as a dedicated COVID-19 isolation ward while the Safdarjung Hospital's super-specialty block has been converted into a state-of-the-art isolation management centre in Delhi.

The government also asserted there is no shortage of medical supplies in the country. It has also placed orders to procure over 10 crore hydroxychloroquine tablets, which the ICMR has recommended to be used as a preventive medication for those involved in the care of suspected or confirmed cases of the coronavirus.

President Ram Nath Kovind also expressed concern over the gathering of migrant workers in Anand Vihar and the congregation of Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin, saying these two incidents caused a setback to the efforts to combat coronavirus, according to a statement issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan.

In a video-conference with the Governors, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators of states/union territories, the president emphasized the need to ensure that no one remains hungry during the nationwide lockdown, enforced to check the spread of the virus.

Prime Minister Modi also spoke to a number of sportspersons through a video-call and sought their support in the COVID-19 fight with many of them vowing to raise awareness and spirits amid a national lockdown.

Officials also referred to the cases remaining largely under control in India as compared to various other countries.

Since its outbreak in China last December, more than 10 lakh people have been infected globally with this deadly virus and more than 51,000 have died including more than 6,000 deaths in the US alone.

The UN General Assembly unanimously adopted its first resolution on the coronavirus pandemic, co-sponsored by India and 187 other nations, calling for intensified global cooperation to defeat the deadly disease that is causing "severe disruption" to societies and economies.

With inputs from agencies



from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2wfnbRd
FP Staff

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