Coronavirus latest updates: Meghalaya announces 24-hour shutdown on Saturday

NEW DELHI:The Union health ministry on Friday said that 223 coronavirus positive cases have been reported in India so far and more than 6,700 people who have come in contact with them are under surveillance.
Here is a look at the latest updates on coronavirus (Covid-19) in India and around the world —
Meghalaya announces 24-hour shutdown on Saturday
Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma announced a 24-hour statewide shutdown from Saturday midnight and said it will be observed as 'coronavirus awareness day'.
Speaking to reporters after chairing a Cabinet meeting on Friday, he said all public transport, commercial establishments and markets will remain shut to create awareness about the pandemic among the people of the state.
It is not to be taken as a "lockdown", he urged.
Italy's virus toll tops 4,000 after new one-day record
Italy on Friday reported a record 627 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, taking its overall toll to 4,000 as the pandemic gathered pace despite government efforts to halt its spread.
The total number of deaths was 4,032, with the number of infections reaching 47,021. Italy's previous one-day record death toll was 475 on Wednesday.
No passenger trains during 'Janta Curfew' on Mar 22
No passenger train will originate from any railway station in the country from midnight to 10 pm on Sunday in view of the "Janta curfew" announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to a railway order issued on Friday.
It stated that mail and express trains will also stop services from 4 am to 10 pm on Sunday while all suburban train services will be reduced to a bare minimum as well.
"All passenger trains originating between midnight of March 21/March 22 to 22:00 hours of March 22 (approximately 2,400 services) shall not be run. However, the passenger train services already on run at 0700 hours on the day will be allowed to run to the destinations. Divisions should keep a watch and trains which are empty could be short terminated, if required," the railway order said.
PM urges CMs to implement social distancing to check virus spread
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged chief ministers to ensure effective implementation of 'social distancing', saying it is the most important measure to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Modi deliberated on the ways to check the spread of coronavirus with the chief ministers of various states via video link.
He said the threat of the pandemic is common for all states, and underscored the need of the Centre and the states working together, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said.
Govt working out logistics with airlines to bring back stranded Indians: MEA
The government is working out the logistics with various airlines to bring back Indians stranded in European countries in transit due to the travel restrictions imposed by India in response to the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic, a senior MEA official said on Friday.
Amid restrictions on the entry of passengers from various countries, the ministry of external affairs on Thursday urged Indians stranded in various parts of the world to "stay put" and said Indian missions are trying their best to provide them support.
"The MEA is working out the logistics with airline companies to bring back stranded Indians from EU countries such as London, Malaysia and Netherlands on flights back to India. The airlines did not let them fly on board for the fear of penalty," Additional Secretary in MEA, Dammu Ravi, said.
Pakistan reports third coronavirus death
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday asked people to self-quarantine for at least another 45 days as the country reported its third coronavirus death and the total number of confirmed cases rose to 464.
The third death was reported from Sindh Province where the number of confirmed cases rose to 238, according to provincial spokesman Murtaza Wahab.
Already two patients died in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa where the number of positive cases has increased to 23, provincial health minister Taimur Jhagra said.
Railways cancels 90 more trains
Railways on Friday cancelled 90 trains, which will not operate between March 20 and March 31, in view of low occupancy and the novel coronavirus pandemic, sources said Friday.
With this, the total number of cancelled trains has climbed to 245.
Earlier on Thursday, the railways cancelled 84 trains and said 155 trains stood cancelled due to COVID-19.
Global coronavirus death toll tops 10,000
The number of people who have died as a result of the coronavirus pandemic now exceeds 10,000, according to an AFP tally based on official data at 1030 GMT Friday.
In total, 10,080 deaths have been reported, most of them in Europe (4,932) and Asia (3,431).
Italy is the worst affected country with 3,405 fatalities, followed by China with 3,248, the initial epicentre of the outbreak, and Iran with 1,433.
PM discusses ways to check spread of coronavirus with chief ministers
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday deliberated ways to check the spread of coronavirus with chief ministers of various states.
Union health minister Harsh Vardhan and top health ministry officials were also present in the meeting held via video link. The meeting, which started at 4pm, was still on.
Sources in the government said besides discussing ways to check the spread of the virus, issues such as capacity building of the states and extending training to local health officials could also come for discussion.
The Prime Minister has been pitching for involvement of people and local authorities to check the spread of the virus.
Spain virus death toll soars past 1,000: ministry
The coronavirus death toll in Spain rose to 1,002 on Friday after another 235 people died in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said.
The number of cases also soared to 19,980 after another 2,833 infections were confirmed over the same period, the ministry's emergencies coordinator Fernando Simon said.
The figures showed a 16.5 percent hike in the number of infections, which was a drop from the 25-percent increase registered a day earlier, Simon said. But he also said the testing laboratories were "overwhelmed" which could skew the numbers.
223 positive cases in India so far: Health ministry
The Union health ministry on Friday said that 223 coronavirus positive cases have been reported in India so far and more than 6,700 people who have come in contact with them are under surveillance.
Joint secretary of the health ministry Luv Aggarwal urged people to use the toll free number 1075 for any query and said that the government is working on preventive approach.
Aggarwal said the Italian man who died in Jaipur on Friday will not be counted among those dead in India due to coronavirus and maintained that the death toll in the country is four.
Centre extends visas of foreigners in India till April 15
The Centre has decided to extend till April 15 the regular visa and e-visa of those foreigners who are currently in India and unable to leave the country due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
According to a Union home ministry notification, a number of foreign nationals are in the country since imposition of travel restrictions and are unable to exit the country during the validity of their visa.
Delhi govt orders closure of malls; exempts grocery and pharmacy stores
The Delhi government on Friday ordered closure of all malls in the national capital in view of the COVID-19 threat, but exempted grocery and pharmacy stores in them.
"In view of the prevailing situation, we are closing down all malls (except grocery, pharmacy and vegetable shops in them)," Delhi chief ninister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted.
An official in the CM's office said that the order comes into force with immediate effect.
In another tweet, the chief minister said all non-essential public dealing activities was stopped till March 31, adding that only essential public dealing activities will continue.
Centre launches MyGov Corona Helpdesk on WhatsApp
In a bid to reduce panic among the citizens pertaining to COVID-19, the Central Government on Friday launched an official chatbot on popular instant messaging application WhatsApp.
This WhatsApp Chatbot is named MyGov Corona Helpdesk and is available to all WhatsApp users.
The person in need is only required to save the number - 9013151515 in their contact list and send a message to the MyGov Corona Helpdesk.
Workplaces in Mumbai, Pune closed till March 31
Amid growing concern over spread of coronavirus, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Friday that all workplaces in major cities in Maharashtra, including Mumbai and Pune, will remain closed till March 31.
The shutdown will be applicable in Mumbai, Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and Nagpur, Thackeray told reporters. Government offices will operate at 25 per cent attendance, he said.
The chief minister's order will come into force from midnight tonight.
"This is not a holiday. This has been forced upon us. Do not cut salaries of those made to stay home," the chief minister said.
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No community spread of coronavirus in India, says Harsh Vardhan
Answering supplementaries during the question hour in Lok Sabha, the Union health minister said the Indian Council of Medical Research was doing tests to see if there was community spread. "Whatever test we are doing is with perfect scientific advice. The infection was traveling from one person to another and "has not gone to the community"," he added.
Three new coronavirus positive cases in Maha, total 52 now
Three more persons tested positive for coronavirus infection in Maharashtra, taking the number of such cases in the state to 52, state health minister Rajesh Tope said.
These new cases were detected in Mumbai, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Till Thursday night, 49 cases of COVID-19 had been found in the state, including a 64-year person, who died in Mumbai earlier this week.
'Stay put' where you are: MEA to Indians abroad
Amid restrictions on the entry of passengers from various countries, the ministry of external affairs on Thursday urged Indians stranded in various parts of the world to "stay put" and said Indian missions are trying their best to provide them support.
Dammu Ravi, additional secretary MEA in charge of coordinating the efforts to counter COVID-19, said it is not advisable for people to move from one region to another region in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.
"This must be understood in the context of the gravity of the crisis. These restrictions are temporary, so one should not panic. If Indians are held up in some places, our advice would be to stay put," he said.
"Our missions, our ambassadors are at the forefront to support these stranded Indians. They are reaching out to them and addressing their concerns. To the extent possible, we are doing our best," he said.
Coronavirus outbreak: Complete coverage
Saudi Arabia suspends domestic flights and trains for 14 days over coronavirus fears
Saudi Arabia suspended on Friday all domestic flights, buses, taxis and trains for 14 days starting Saturday. Saudi Arabia has so far confirmed 274 infections and no deaths, while globally the pandemic has killed nearly 10,000 and infected over 240,000.
Govt bans export of ventilators, surgical/disposable masks
The government on Thursday banned export of all ventilators, surgical/disposable masks and textile raw material used for making masks with immediate effect as it seeks to ensure adequate supply of the critical material at a time when the coronavirus count is rising in the country.
However, the government said items including gloves, ophthalmic instruments and appliances, surgical blades, gas masks with chemical absorbent for filtration against poisonous vapour and smoke, and biopsy punch can be freely exported.
By imposing a ban on export of the material used for making the masks, the government is hoping to make more supplies available in the domestic market and rein in prices.
More on Covid-19
Sri Lankan government imposes 2 1/2 day curfew
The Sri Lankan government on Friday imposed a 2 1/2 day curfew across the whole island in a bid to contain the spreading of the coronavirus. The number of positive cases has risen to 59. The curfew will be in effect from Friday 6.00 pm until Monday 6.00 am.
China sees zero local coronavirus cases for second day, imported infections surge
Mainland China reported zero locally transmitted cases of the coronavirus for the second straight day, while the daily tally for infections involving travellers arriving in the country surged to a new record. Mainland China had 39 new confirmed cases on Thursday, all of which were imported cases.
Coronavirus could kill millions if allowed to spread like wildfire: UN chief
The world is "at war" with a virus, which if allowed to "spread like wildfire" would kill millions of people, UN chief Antonio Guterres said on Thursday and called for a coordinated, decisive and innovative policy action from the world's leading economies to combat the pandemic.
"We are facing a global health crisis unlike any in the 75-year history of the United Nations — one that is spreading human suffering, infecting the global economy and upending people's lives," Guterres said in a first of its kind virtual press conference on the COVID-2019 pandemic.
Warning that a global recession of record dimensions is "a near certainty", the UN Secretary General cited International Labour Organisation estimates that workers around the world could lose as much as USD 3.4 trillion in income by the end of this year.
Modi calls for resolve, restraint to fight coronavirus; Janta curfew on Sunday
Calling for "resolve and restraint" to fight coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked the entire country to observe 'Janta curfew' on Sunday.
In a nearly 30-minute national broadcast, he asked people to stay indoors and work from home as much as possible while underscoring the dangers of coronavirus, saying the world has never seen a crisis as grave as this.
"Even World War I and II did not affect as many countries as coronavirus has done," Modi said, asking people to avoid this mindset that the disease will not affect India much when it has hit hard many developed countries.
Tirupati Balaji temple to be shut for devotees
The famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala near Tirupati and all other major temples will be out of bounds for devotees while malls and cinema halls would be closed down in Andhra Pradesh till March 31 as part of measures to check spread of coronavirus, the state government announced on Thursday.
The daily rituals in all these temples will, however, be performed by the priests. Only the devotees will not be allowed, he said.
Centre asks states to take preventive measures for employees
The Centre has asked all state governments to ensure that necessary measures are taken for their employees to prevent the spread of coronavirus, a communique issued on Thursday said.
State governments have been asked to install thermal scanners, discourage entry of visitors in government offices, avoid non-essential office travel, close gyms/recreational centre and to ensure regular supply of hand sanitisers, soap and running water in the washroom.
Punjab to suspend public transport from Friday midnight
To contain the coronavirus outbreak, the Punjab government on Thursday decided to stop operation of all public transport – buses, tempos, auto rickshaws – from Friday midnight.
All the shopping complexes, malls, museums and local weekly kisan mandis across the state will also remain close till March 31.
During the meeting, it was decided not to allow public gatherings of more than 20 persons.
Hotels, marriage palaces, outdoor and indoor dining and banquets will also remain closed. The government has allowed home delivery service and takeaways. Public dealing in government offices has been restricted.
Coronavirus cases in Germany soar past 10,000
Germany has recorded 10,999 cases of the novel coronavirus, official data showed Thursday, with the number of new reported infections rising by 2,801 in a single day.
Twenty people have died from the viral infection, data from the disease control agency Robert Koch Institute (RKI) showed. North Rhine-Westphalia remains the worst-hit state, with 3,033 COVID-19 cases, up 661 from a day ago.
Centre orders work from home, staggered working hours for its staff
The Centre on Thursday decided to allow 50 per cent of its employees to work from home and the remaining to attend office every day besides implementing different time slots for working hours, in its effort to further check the spread of coronavirus.
The Heads of Department (HoDs) may ensure that 50 per cent of Group B and C employees are required to attend office every day and the remaining 50 per cent staff should be instructed to work from home, a personnel ministry order said.
Further, the working hours for all employees who attend office on a particular day should be staggered, the order said.
78 quarantined in Srinagar after arrival from Leh
Authorities in Kashmir on Thursday quarantined 78 people, who arrived in Srinagar from Leh in Ladakh union territory, for suspected novel coronavirus infection, officials said.
The two-week quarantine has been made mandatory for all persons coming to Kashmir from Ladakh.
The authorities requested the families of those quarantined to not visit the facility as it was not allowed.
ICSE Board class 10,12 exams postponed till March 31
The ICSE board on Thursday postponed class 10 and 12 examinations due to the novel coronavirus threat, officials said.
The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations chief executive Gerry Arathoon said the exams have been postponed till March 31. On Wednesday, CBSE had also postponed exams till March 31.
Chidambaram calls for immediate lockdown of all towns, cities for 2-4 weeks
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram called for an immediate lockdown of all towns and cities for 2-4 weeks to contain the spread of coronavirus.
"After WHO Director General's statement yesterday, there should be no hesitation in ordering an immediate lockdown of all our towns and cities for 2-4 weeks," he said.
The head of the World Health Organization on Wednesday said the coronavirus was an "enemy against humanity".
The very survival of airline industry now at stake: Indigo CEO
"With precipitous drop in revenues, the very survival of airline industry now at stake," said IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta. The CEO also announced pay cut for all employees. He himself will take 25 per cent cut in salary.
Mumbai prepares to quarantine 26,000 Indians coming from Gulf
The Mumbai civic body prepared to receive around 26,000 Indians expected to land in the city between Thursday and March 31 from Covid-19-hit Gulf nations such as the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman.
Twenty-three flights come to Mumbai from these countries every day. According to the Centre’s guidelines, all arrivals from the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman are to be quarantined for 14 days starting March 18.
Mumbai's Dabbawalas suspend tiffin service till March 31
Mumbai's famed tiffin suppliers, the dabbawalas, suspended their services till March 31 in view of the coronavirus. Subhash Talekar, spokesperson of Mumbai Dabbawala Association on said the service will remain suspended from Friday as a precautionary measure.
UGC asks Universities to postpone exams till March 31
The University Grants Commission has issued a circular asking all higher education institutions to reschedule their examination after March 31, 2020. "All ongoing university examinations may be rescheduled after March 31, 2020. Second, all evaluation work may be rescheduled after March 31, 2020," the organisation stated.
‘255 Indians in Iran tested +ve for Covid-19’
It took meetings with foreign minister S Jaishankar and senior MEA officials as well as persuasion by prominent Shia leaders to get Indians stranded in Iran, who are negative for Covid-19, to return home even as there was official confirmation that 255 Indian pilgrims have tested positive for the disease.
Restrictions imposed in Srinagar
Authorities in Srinagar on Thursday announced restrictions in parts of the city including Khanyar area where the first positive case of coronavirus in Kashmir has been detected. The area within 300 metre radius from the house of the 67-year-old COVID-19 patient in Khanyar locality has been sealed.
Two members of US Congress test positive for coronavirus
Two members of the US House of Representatives, Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida and Ben McAdams of Utah, said on Wednesday they had tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the first members of Congress known to have contracted the respiratory illness.