Coronavirus latest updates:​ Number of cases surges to 1397 in India

NEW DELHI: The number of coronavirus cases climbed to 1,397 on Tuesday after 146 new infections were reported in the past 24 hours across the country, while the death toll rose to 35, according to the Union health ministry.
Three fresh deaths -- two in Punjab and one in Maharashtra -- were reported, it added.
Here is a look at the latest updates on the outbreak of coronavirus from India and around the world —
Global coronavirus death toll tops 40,000
The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 40,000 people worldwide with nearly three-quarters of the deaths in Europe, according to an AFP tally at 1620 GMT on Tuesday using official figures.
A total of 40,057 deaths have been recorded across the world, including 29,305 in Europe, with Italy registering 12,428, followed by Spain with 8,189 and China with 3,305.
COVID-19 death toll rises to 35, cases climb to 1,397
The number of coronavirus cases climbed to 1,397 on Tuesday after 146 new infections were reported in the past 24 hours across the country, while the death toll rose to 35, according to the Union health ministry.
The active COVID-19 cases stand at 1,238. Three fresh deaths -- two in Punjab and one in Maharashtra -- were reported in the last 224 hours, it added.
As many as 123 people were either cured or discharged and one had migrated, taking the total number of cases due to the contagion to 1,397, including 49 foreigners, it stated.
Lockdowns may have saved 59,000 lives in Europe: Study
Strict containment measures might have already saved up to 59,000 lives across 11 European countries battling the spread of the new coronavirus, experts in Britain say.
Basing their modelling on the numbers of recorded deaths from COVID-19, researchers from Imperial College London said most countries it looked at had likely dramatically reduced the rate at which the virus spreads.
Using the experiences of countries with the most advanced epidemics like Italy and Spain, the study compared actual fatality rates with an estimate of what would have happened with no measures such as school closures, event cancellations and lockdowns.
Russia's top coronavirus doctor tests positive
The head of Moscow's main coronavirus hospital who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin a week ago has tested positive, state television reported on Tuesday.
Last Tuesday Denis Protsenko met with the Russian leader who inspected the Kommunarka hospital while wearing a hazmat suit.
Nizamuddin religious congregation: States hunt for event attendees
Delhi: CM Arvind Kejriwal said 1,548 people have been evacuated from Nizamudddin markaz (centre) of which, 441 were hospitalised after they showed coronavirus symptoms. The chief minister said 1,107 people, who attended religious congregation in Nizamudddin West, have been quarantined.
He said that out of 97 cases of coronavirus in the city, 24 were those who took part in the congregation earlier this month
Assam: Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state government has the list of 299 persons who were present in and around the hotspot near the Masjid in Nizamuddin in Delhi, and alerted the district administrations to find out if they have returned.
Himachal Pradesh: Seventeen people from Himachal Pradesh attended the congregation organised by the Tablighi Jamaat in New Delhi's Nizamuddin, a state police spokesperson said.
Bijnour: UP: Eight Indonesian Islamic preachers, who attended a religious congregation at Nizamuddin in the national capital, were found staying at a mosque in Nagina block of Bijnour district and were picked up by the police, said officials.
Telangana: The Telangana administration is estimating that over 1,000 people from the state might have attended a religious congregation in the national capital's Nizamuddin area, a senior official said adding the search is on to identify people who came in contact with them. The government had on Monday said the six persons who attended the congregation between March 13 and 15 died due to coronavirus.
Andhra Pradesh: More than half of the 40 people who tested positive for coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh allegedly have a link with the Tablighi Jamaat and attended its congregation in New Delhi between March 13 and 15.
Madhya Pradesh: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan directed officials to quarantine over 100 people from the state who had participated in a religious congregation in Delhi
Gujarat: The Gujarat police said some persons from the state had attended the Islamic congregation at Nizamuddin in Delhi.
Uttar Pradesh: The state government said 157 people attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin, claiming that most of them have been traced.
Flying squads to conduct door-to-door survey in Mumbai
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said flying squads have been set up in all 227 municipal wards of Mumbai for door-to-door survey as part of efforts to check the spread of coronavirus.
The step has been taken in view of the high density of population in Mumbai where there is more possibility of spread of the disease compared to other districts.
Thackerey said the Worli Koliwada has been declared as the 'containment area' and residents have been prohibited from moving around.
Circulation of fake news single-most troubling point: SG to SC on outbreak of Covid-19
The solicitor general told the Supreme Court that the single-most troubling point in the fight against Covid-19 is the circulation of fake news. The CJI-led bench told the government to draw criminal proceedings against those indulging in fake news.
To counter fake news, SG said the Centre is setting up a chat box under a separate unit headed by a joint secretary in health ministry and including health experts and senior doctors from AIIMS and other hospitals to answer queries from citizens so that they don't rely on incorrect information.
3 out of 10 people moving from cities to rural area may be infected: Centre to SC
Centre tells SC that there is a possibility of 3 out of 10 persons moving from cities to rural areas are carrying the Corona virus. It says it has so far screened 28 lakh persons at airports and seaports. As many as 3.5 lakh persons are under monitoring, SG Tushar Mehta told SC bench led by CJI SA Bobde.
Nearly 300 foreigners who attended Nizamuddin event may be blacklisted for violating visa conditions
India is likely to blacklist about 300 foreigners who came from 16 countries, including Malaysia and Thailand, on tourist visas but attended an Islamic congregation at Nizamuddin here that has become a key source for the spread of coronavirus in the country.
Tablighi meet in Nizamuddin: 24 test positive
Twenty-four people who attended Jamaat event in Nizamuddin haved tested positive. The government is not certain of the number but it is estimated that 1,500-1,700 people had assembled at the Markaz building. The Delhi health minister said that 1,033 people have been evacuated so far of which 334 have been sent to hospital and 700 have been sent to the quarantine centre.
Over 20,000 houses marked 'home quarantine' in Delhi: Lt Governor
Over 20,000 houses have been marked as "home quarantine" by the Delhi government in the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak, lieutenant governor Anil Baijal said.
Five new cases of coronavirus reported from Maharashtra
Five new cases of coronavirus have been reported from Maharashtra. Out of the five new cases, four have been reported from Mumbai and one has been reported from Pune. The total number of coronavirus cases in the state has risen up to 230.
Those in home quarantine in Karnataka directed to send selfies every hour to govt
The home quarantined coronavirus suspects and patients will have to send their selfies on the Quarantine Watch, a mobile application developed by Karnataka government's revenue department to keep a track of the isolated persons. The government warned the home quarantined people that they will be sent to mass quarantine centres if they violate the rule.
Urns in Wuhan prompt new questions of coronavirus' toll in China
The long lines and stacks of ash urns greeting family members of the dead at funeral homes in Wuhan are spurring questions about the true scale of coronavirus casualties at the epicenter of the outbreak, renewing pressure on a Chinese government struggling to control its containment narrative.
Another death in West Bengal, state death toll at 3
Another coronavirus patient died in West Bengal bringing the total number of people to have died of Covid-19 to three.
In Maharashtra, five fresh coronavirus cases were reported — one in Mumbai, two each in Pune and Buldhana. The state's tally of infected pateints is now 225, the state health department reported.
A coronavirus vaccine in 18 months? Experts urge reality check
As worldwide cases surge past 750,000, governments, investors and the public are keenly watching the breakneck race to deliver coronavirus vaccines that could prevent future infections. But getting there is far from easy. Most vaccines go through years of tests before they hit the market; 12 to 18 months would be extraordinarily fast.
10 deaths, 300 hospitalisations linked to Tablighi Jamaat meet in Delhi's Nizamuddin
In a sudden outbreak and detection of multiple coronavirus cases, the Delhi-based headquarters of Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin West has turned into a hotspot, alarming health authorities. It had hosted a congregation this month which was attended by followers from abroad and India. Nine Indians who attended – six in Telengana and one each in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and J&K – have died of the disease.
At least one foreign national, a Filipino, has died and 19 foreigners, followers of this Islamic missionary movement, have tested positive for Covid-19 across the country so far.
Twenty-four people who were present at Nizamuddin Tablighi Jamaat have tested positive for coronavirus, according to latest update.
You can now book a Covid-19 test online in Mumbai
Residents of Mumbai can now book Covid-19 tests online through Practo. The digital healthcare platform has partnered with Thyrocare to do detection tests. The test costs Rs 4,500 and can be booked on Practo as well as Thyrocare’s websites. The report will be made available to the patients on the Practo website within 24-48 hours of the sample collection.
Road Transport Ministry extends validity of all vehicle papers till June 30
In a major relief to about individual vehicle owners and 1.2 crore trucks, plying in India carrying essential goods, the road transport ministry has extended the validity of all required documents for vehicles from March 31 to June 30.
US coronavirus death toll rises past 3,000 on deadliest day
In a grim new milestones marking the spread of the virus, total deaths across the United States hit 3,017, including at least 540 on Monday, and the reported cases climbed to more than 163,000. Hospitals in the New York City area have been overrun with patients suffering from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus. Officials have appealed for volunteer healthcare workers.
‘India still in local transmission stage’
Covid-19 outbreak in India remains in ‘local transmission’ stage and any evidence of ‘community transmission’ will be shared with the public so that the level of alertness can be increased, the government said seeking to put at rest speculations about a wider spread of the virus.
“It is only local transmission in the country. If there is a community transmission, we will be the first to tell you as we would want to covey it to the community through you (media) to increase the level of alertness and management for Covid-19 at the field level,” health ministry joint secretary Lav Agarwal said.
Coronavirus epidemic 'far from over' in Asia: WHO
The coronavirus epidemic is "far from over" in the Asia-Pacific region, and current measures to curb the spread of the virus are buying time for countries to prepare for large-scale community transmissions, a WHO official said on Tuesday. Even with all the measures, the risk of transmission in the region will not go away as long as the pandemic continues, said WHO.
Govt has Rs 60k crore war chest in disaster funds
The Centre has a war chest of more than Rs 60,000 crore to fight the Covid-19 pandemic — Rs 30,000 crore is already available in state disaster relief funds (SDRF) while allocation of a similar amount has been made for the 2020-21 financial year towards disaster relief and mitigation. This is in addition to contributions received in the PM’s relief fund.
21 lakh PPE kits ordered, 60,000 supplied to hospitals: Centre
The health ministry on Monday said it has placed orders for 21 lakh personal protection equipment (PPEs) coveralls for medical staff dealing with Covid-19 patients with 11 domestic manufacturers, whereas around 60,000 PPE kits have already been procured and supplied to hospitals and healthcare workers across the country.