Coronavirus LIVE news updates: ‘Sealing’ orders triggered panic buying in some areas in Noida on Wednesday. (Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav)
Coronavirus LIVE news updates:
According to a government statement, Modi emphasised that several state governments, district administrations and experts had pressed for extension of the lockdown. He, however, said he would hold another round of discussions with the chief ministers on April 11 before taking a final decision. Last week, Modi had told the chief ministers to formulate a common but staggered exit strategy to lift the lockdown.
“The Prime Minister underlined that the situation in the country is akin to a ‘social emergency’. The country has been forced to take tough decisions, and must continue to remain vigilant,” the statement quoted him as saying. This was Modi’s first interaction with leaders of political parties after announcing the 21-day lockdown on March 24.
According to sources, the PM underlined that he had not come across any opinion which suggests that lifting the lockdown at this juncture is “advisable”. The view that is emerging so far, he said, is that lifting the lockdown is not going to be “simple” and the norms for ensuring social distancing will have to be enforced strictly.
Utensils placed inside circles in a queue at a slum area as Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) began supplying food amid a nationwide lockdown.
Coronavirus curve up, lockdown impact may take a while
Two weeks into the lockdown period, there is no indication yet that the largest quarantine exercise in the world is having the desired effect of slowing down the spread of the COVID-19 disease.
Scientists using computer models to measure the spread of an infectious disease say they are yet to notice a “flattening of the growth curve”. This does not mean that the lockdown has been a wasted exercise, however. It is too early to draw such a conclusion.
Pooled testing planned in zero-case districts to get the real picture
Pushing for increased testing, health authorities are all set to do pooled testing in some of the 436 districts of the country from where no case of COVID-19 has been reported. This will be done to get a “realistic estimation” of the spread of the disease, highly placed government sources said, and the areas will be selected based on information available.
Into the third week of the 21-day lockdown, there is realisation in the government that without adequate testing in the COVID-free districts, there is an inherent risk in taking any decision on the lockdown. That is why information from two databases — from Aarogya Setu app and surveillance — will be merged to choose the areas where pooled testing will be done among symptomatic people. These tests will be done through RT-PCR, the nucleic acid-based test that India has been using from the start, and not the recently introduced faster option of serological tests, sources said.
Residents of an apartment building look at street musicians performing on their courtyard as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Prague, Czech Republic (REUTERS)
‘Will have many body bags if we don’t behave’: WHO chief on Trump’s criticism
The head of the World Health Organization gave a strident defence of his agency’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday, in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism and suggestions that Washington could review its funding for the agency.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for unity and a halt to “politicization” of the global health crisis, specifically urging China and the United States to show “honest leadership”.
Fact Check: Tracking the coronavirus curve in India
The first three cases of novel coronavirus infection in India happened on January 29, and none thereafter for the next more than one month. Fresh cases began to emerge in the first week of March but for more than two weeks, it came in trickles, even as many other parts of the world were battling with the emergence of thousands of cases every day.
Coronavirus latest LIVE news updates: Road painted in West Bengal with "Stay Home, Stay Safe" message.
In the last few days, however, the growth of numbers in India has begun to prominently resemble what is so characteristic of the spread of an infectious disease — an exponential curve. If we ignore the first three cases in Kerala and January, it took India 13 days after the emergence of a fresh case on March 2 to cross the 100 mark. Over the next 14 days, India had more than 1,000 cases. By April 7, or in another nine days, the numbers had crossed the 5,000 mark, and at this rate, India is on route to touch 10,000 cases in about a week.
Read more news on the coronavirus pandemic:
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Cash ‘stress’: Finance tells ministries to limit spends during Q1
Hydroxychloroquine: The drug everyone is looking at
Here’s a quick Coronavirus guide from Express Explained to keep you updated: What can cause a COVID-19 patient to relapse after recovery? | COVID-19 lockdown has cleaned up the air, but this may not be good news. Here’s why | Can alternative medicine work against the coronavirus? | A five-minute test for COVID-19 has been readied, India may get it too | How India is building up defence during lockdown | Why only a fraction of those with coronavirus suffer acutely | How do healthcare workers protect themselves from getting infected? | What does it take to set up isolation wards?
Coronavirus: A total of 549 COVID-19 cases and 17 deaths have been reported in India in the last 24 hours.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged members of the Security Council to come together to fight the global coronavirus outbreak, marking the first time the divided 15-nation body discussed the pandemic. “The engagement of the Security Council will be critical to mitigate the peace and security implications of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Guterres told council members in a closed-door video conference on Thursday.
“A signal of unity and resolve from the Council would count for a lot at this anxious time,” he said in a text released by his office. READ MORE
Five wards in Mumbai — Worli, Malabar Hill, Byculla, Bandra and Andheri — account for more than 55 per cent of coronavirus positive cases in the city, data released by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has found. As per the data, updated till April 8, the city recorded 695 positive cases and more than 40 deaths.
Mumbai has 24 administrative wards covering over 430 square kilometres from CST Fort, Colaba, in south Mumbai to Mulund in eastern suburbs and Dahisar in western suburbs. According to the data, G-south ward (Worli, Prabhadevi) alone has 26 per cent COVID-19 patients with 184 cases. In the last two days, more than 100 new cases of coronavirus have been found in Worli. It is followed by E-ward (Byculla, Agripada) with 64 cases, K-west (Andheri West, Vile Parle) with 47 cases, H-east (Bandra, Santacruz east) with 37 and D-ward (Grant Road, Malabar Hill) with five. These five wards alone have 384 positive cases, shows the civic body’s ward-wise data. READ MORE
Over a week into the new month, several domestic workers in the city are yet to receive their monthly pay, even if their employers have assured to pay them in full for March.
Facing curbs on mobility amid the lockdown, many domestic helps have not been able to visit their employers to collect their pay and are facing a cash crunch. Their supplies have started to run out, and they need the money to buy essentials, said Eknath Mane, president of the Gharkamgar Molkarni Sangathana (GMS). READ MORE
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has moved out of intensive care, Reuters quoted a spokesman saying on Thursday.
"The Prime Minister has been moved this evening from intensive care back to the ward, where he will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery," the spokesman said.
The Delhi University on Thursday postponed practical and written exams till further notice. In a notification, it said the datesheets issued in the regard stand withdrawn and fresh dates will be notified soon.
The varsity has postponed exams of School of Open Learning, regular colleges and Non-Collegiate Women's Board (NCWEB).
The university is shut till April 14 in view of the nationwide lockdown. (PTI)
Centre has granted exemption from Basic Customs Duty and Health cess, on the import of the following goods, with immediate effect - ventilators, Face masks, surgical masks, PPEs, COVID-19 test kits, inputs for their manufacture. Exemption available up to 30th Sept 2020, reports ANI.
From a 90-year-old Mizoram woman donating her one month's pension to CM's Relief Fund to IITs, IISc developing mobile apps in order to fight the coronavirus, here is a list of interesting stories from across the country on Day 16 of the lockdown.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced to double the salary of doctors, nurses, paramedical and all other staff working in COVID-19 hospitals, ICU and isolation wards, ambulance drivers bringing corona positive patients etc.
Khattar made this announcement while presiding over the meeting held with the Chief Medical Officers of the State, District Ayurvedic Officers, Officers of Medical Education and Research Department and Directors of the Medical Colleges of the State, District Presidents of the Indian Medical Association through video conferencing here today.
Denying permission to enter the Mormugo port, the Goa government Thursday asked a cruise liner to follow MHA guidelines pertaining to state lockdown.
Port Minister Michael Lobo later told reporters that the authorities are engaged in handling the situation, but currently due to the lockdown the vessel cannot be allowed to disembark in Goa.
The vessel is named MS Karnika, operated by Jalesh Cruises, had arrived at the Goa port from Mauritius on Thursday — and is reported to have many Goans, along with many other state natives. READ HERE
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned that the situation due to coronavirus pandemic "can further deteriorate" and "hospitals may not be able to cope" with the increasing number of COVID-19 patients, as authorities on Thursday reported 340 new cases, taking the tally to 4,414, news agency PTI reported.
The India Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has revised its testing strategy for Covid-19.
Under the new strategy, ICMR states 'asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case should be tested once between days 5 and day 14 of coming in his/her contact'.
More details:
Some visuals from across the world:
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has made it mandatory for citizens to wear masks in all urban areas of the state. There are 196 urban regions (Nagar Nigam, Nagar Palika or Nagar Parishad) in Rajasthan.
Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed thousands of lives around the world, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva Thursday said that due to the pandemic, the year 2020 could see the worst global economic fallout since the Great Depression in the 1930s with over 170 countries likely to experience negative per capita income growth. More details here.
With the nationwide lockdown and the global slowdown adversely impacting economic activity, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Thursday stated that risks around inflation projections appear balanced at this juncture but “COVID-19 hangs over the future like a spectre”. In its Monetary Policy Report, the RBI observed the ongoing lockdown and expected contraction in global outlook would weigh heavily on the growth outlook. Click here for more details.
Here's what happened today
-COVID-19 death toll rises to 169, no. of cases climbs to 5,865 in India
-Centre sanctions Rs 15,000 cr COVID-19 emergency package for states.
-No need to panic over availability of PPE, says Health ministry.
-COVID-19 pandemic hangs over India's future like a 'spectre', says RBI
-Third death in Dharavi, Chhattisgarh reports seven new cases
-Kerala CM writes to Modi, highlights plight of Indian migrants in UAE
-Covid-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir mount to 184.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday discussed with South Korean President Moon Jae-in ways to tackle the novel coronavirus pandemic through cooperation and leveraging the power of technology. "Had a telephone conversation with President Moon Jae-in on the prevailing COVID-19 situation and how we can fight this pandemic through cooperation and leveraging the power of technology," the prime minister tweeted. PM Modi also expressed appreciation to the Republic of Korea government for facilitating supplies and transport of medical equipment being sourced by Indian companies, an official statement said.
Tamil Nadu records 96 new cases of COVID19 today, pushing the tally of cases in the state to 834. Health Secretary Dr Beela Rajesh says that of the 96 new cases, 84 patients had attended the single source event in Delhi.
12 new COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in Kerala, fourch each from Kannur and Kasaragod, two in Malappuram, one each in Kollam & Thiruvananthapuram Of these, 11 contracted the disease through local contact, 1 had returned from a foreign country. Total positive cases here reach 357, said chief miniter Pinarayi Vijayan
In a press briefing on Thursday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that containment exercise will be carried out in 21 areas of Delhi where Covid-19 cases have been found. "These areas will be completely sealed and residents will be home quarantined. Essential services will be delivered to the residents' doorsteps," Kejriwal said. He also said that free rations to as many as 71 lakh people have been provided in the capital so far.
Central government on Thursday sanctioned Rs 15,000 Crores for 'India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package'. The funds sanctioned will be utilized for immediate COVID-19 Emergency Response (amount of Rs.7774 crores) and rest for medium-term support (1-4 years) to be provided under mission mode approach.
"The key objectives of the package include mounting emergency response to slow and limit COVID-19 in India through the development of diagnostics and COVID-19 dedicated treatment facilities, centralized procurement of essential medical equipment and drugs required for treatment of infected patients," a press release issued by the government said.
A total of 549 COVID-19 cases and 17 deaths have been reported in India in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said in its latest briefing on the 16th day of the nationwide lockdown. Overall, the number of cases in India surged to 5,865 including 169 deaths. As many as 477 people have discharged.
Some visuals from Ludhiana, Punjab.
A 70-year-old woman from Dharavi in Mumbai passed away Thursday due to coronavirus. Third death from Kalyanwadi area. Total cases from the area are now 14.
Seven people including two women were tested positive in Chattisgarh's Katghora on Thursday. All of them allegedly came in contact with a 16-year-old from the area who had been identified as positive earlier this month. Nine people have been cured/discharged in the state so far.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Thursday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Modi to draw his attention to the plight of Indian migrants in UAE. "It is learned that the situation in Dubai is worsening. We are receiving a number of complaints regarding inadequate isolation and quarantine facilities in the country and apprehensions are raised about the imminent community spread of disease," Vijayan said in his letter.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Thursday said that as many as 1,30,000 samples have been tested for Covid-19 in the country. "Till yesterday, 1,30,000 samples tested positivity rate is 3-5% in the last one-two months, not changes substantially," an ICMR official said during a press briefing.
Here's what Lav Agrawal, Joint Secy, Ministry of Health said during the presser:
-Country requirement of Hydroxychloroquine is available. However, it should be used as per protocol as it can cause cardiac irregularities. Only those people need to use should use it.
-Covid-19 emergency response and health systems package is a 100% centrally funded scheme to help strengthen help systems, procure essential medical equipment, consumables drugs; states can buy PPEs, masks etc.
-In order to prepare 80,000 isolation beds, Indian railways are converting 5,000 coaches into isolation units, of which 3,250 have been converted.
-Ten teams of coronavirus specialists sent to nine states.
Ministry of Health on Thursday said that supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), masks and ventilators have started coming. Nearly 1.7 cr PPE and 49,000 venilators have been ordered.
In a press briefing, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health said: "As many as 473 people recovered and discharged from the hospital so far. Total 5734 confirmed cases reported in the country till date, 549 new cases in the last 24 hours. 166 deaths have been reported till dates, 17 deaths since yesterday".
At a time when countries around the world are facing a severe shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and Covid-19 testing kits, Finland becomes the latest country to publicly blame China for selling masks that don’t meet its requirements.
On Wednesday, Finland discovered that the first shipment of 2 million surgical masks and 230,000 respirator masks it received from China did not meet the required standards of protection against the coronavirus for use in medical environments.
In recent weeks, Spain, the Netherlands, Turkey and Australia have returned masks brought from China, forcing the Chinese government to suggest that nations have not “double-checked” the products before purchasing. Click here for more info
On the international front, as many as 88,538 people have died and over 1.5 million positive cases have been reported so far.
Here are some of the latest updates:
-Boris Johnson is making steady progress in ICU with Covid-19, Downing Street says.
-Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro thanks PM Narendra Modi for allowing export of raw materials to produce hydroxychloroquine.
-New York, the hardest-hit state in America, reported 779 deaths – its highest number of coronavirus-related deaths in a single day on Wednesday.
-France to extend lockdown as virus deaths soar in Europe, US
-President Vladimir Putin likened Russia’s fight against the coronavirus to its battles against medieval invaders and said the next few weeks would be decisive.
The head of the World Health Organization gave a strident defence of his agency’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday, in response to US President Donald Trump’s criticism and suggestions that Washington could review its funding for the agency. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for unity and a halt to “politicization” of the global health crisis, specifically urging China and the United States to show “honest leadership”.
A 9-year old girl has been tested positive in Gujarat's Dahod city on Wednesday. The girl had travelled from Indore with the body of her father in an ambulance for his burial in Dahod. "As per preliminary information, the man had died of a cardiac arrest. We have still sent the information to the authorities in Indore for further confirmation. They had reached the Gujarat-MP border in an ambulance from Indore and from where our ambulance brought them in. Immediately after the burial, all the five members of the family who had travelled were tested for COVID19. Only the girl has tested positive," said Dahod District Collector, Vijay Kharadi.
With new information about the novel coronavirus emerging everyday, it is becoming clearer how the virus affects people of different age groups. Research suggests that while everyone is susceptible to COVID-19, people over the age of 60 and children are particularly vulnerable. A study, published on March 31, 2020 by researchers from the Southwest Medical University and Birth Defects Clinical Research Center of Sichuan Province, describes the clinical features of the COVID-19 disease in children.
A plane carrying 90 tons of UN health, water and sanitation aid arrived in Venezuela on Wednesday to help the cash-strapped country fight the coronavirus pandemic. The shipment includes 28,000 Personal Protective Equipment kits for health workers, oxygen concentrators, pediatric beds, water quality control products and hygiene kits, the UN said. "This is the first United Nations humanitarian shipment in support of the Venezuela COVID-19 outbreak," said Peter Grohmann, the UN's humanitarian coordinator for Venezuela. Venezuela, suffering from a crippling economic crisis that has led to shortages of basic food and medicine and forced some five million people to flee the country, has 167 confirmed cases of coronavirus and nine deaths.
A two-month-old baby who was believed to have been Italy's youngest COVID-19 patient has been released from hospital after overcoming the disease, media reports said Thursday. The baby was no longer running a temperature or fever and was released with her mother, who has recovered from a bout of pneumonia, the reports said. The two were hospitalised in the southern city of Bari on March 18. Italy has officially attributed 17,669 deaths to COVID-19, more than any other country. The government is now weighing how and when to ease social distancing measures that have helped see daily death tolls slowly come down from a high of 969 last month. --AFP
While China's aggressive control measures may have halted the first wave of COVID-19 in areas outside Hubei province, the epicentre of the epidemic, real-time monitoring of the spread and severity of the deadly disease is needed to protect against a possible second wave of infection, researchers say. According to the scientists, including those from the University of Hong Kong, given the substantial risk of the virus being reintroduced from abroad, and with economic activity increasing in China, there may be a second wave of infection in the province. In their analysis, published in the journal The Lancet, they estimated that in regions outside Hubei, the instantaneous reproductive number of COVID-19, which is the average number of cases generated by a single infected individual during the outbreak, fell substantially after lock down measures were introduced in January.
The Uttar Pradesh government Wednesday decided to completely seal off coronavirus hotspots in 15 districts, including Noida, to further contain the spread of COVID-19. Noida is among the 15 districts in UP where hotspots will be sealed till April 15, while the rest of the areas will remain under lockdown (restricted outdoor movement of people), according to officials. As many as 22 such hotspots have been identified in Noida. They are:
1) Sector 41
2) Hide Park Sector 78 & Supertec Capetown Sector 74 Noida
3) Lotus Boulevard, Sector 100,
4) Alpha-I Greater Noida
5) Nirala Green Shire Sector 02, Greater Noida and Patwari village
6) Logix Blossom County & Paras Tierra, Sector 137 and Wazidpur village
7) ATS Dolce Zeta-1 Greater Noida
8) Ace Golf Shire Society, Sector 150
9) Sector 27 and Sector 28
10) Omicron-3, Sector 3, Greater Noida
11) Mehak Residency, Achega Greater Noida
12) Jay Pee Wish Town, Sector 128
13) Sector 44
14) VIllage Visnoi post Dujana Dadri
15) Sector 37
16) Village Ghodi Bacheda
17) Stellar MI Omicron 3, Greater Noida
18) Palm Olympia, Gaur City-2, Greater Noid West, Sect 16
19) Sector-22, Chauda Village
20) Grand Omaxe, Sector 93B
21) Sector 5 and 8, JJ Colony
22) Designer Park, Sector 62
With the lockdown in place to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, cities across the world are breathing cleaner air as human activity is virtually brought to a standstill. India especially has more reason to rejoice this silver lining. According to the 219 world ranking, India accounts for two-thirds of the world’s most polluted cities — 21 of the most polluted 30 cities; 14 of the highest 20; and six of the highest 10. Read More
Delhi High Court suspends summer vacation for the High Court and the Subordinate Courts. The courts in the national capital will be functioning in the month of June 2020. "In view of the severe hardship faced by the litigants due to the prevailing pandemic of COVID-19 that has impaired the functioning of the courts, it has been unanimously resolved by the Full court that to make up for the loss of the court working hours and to ensure restoration of normalcy in the functioning of the courts at the earliest,this court and subordinate thereto shall continue functioning during the entire month of June."
For the first time in Tamil Nadu, Tirunelveli police gave a guard of honour to the corporation sanitary workers who are on the frontline in the fight against coronavirus.
Vadodara District Collector confirms that four more #Covid19 cases on Thursday from the mass sampling of the red zone area of Nagarwada. Total cases in Vadodara up to 22; six have been discharged after recovery and two deaths in April. District Collector confirms that three of the four cases are residents of Nagarwada while the one #Covid19 case is from RV Desai Road in Vadodara, who is an employee of a hospital in Wadi area and had come in contact with a positive patient from Godhra.
A woman in Uttarakhand has donated all her personal savings of Rs 10 lakh to the PM CARES Fund to help the needy, PTI reported. Devki Bhandari, 60, handed a cheque to the authorities on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Trivevdra Singh Rawat said the woman reminded him of mythological characters like Danveer Karna and Raja Bali, who were epitomes of generosity. “Despite being alone in this world, Devkiji looked upon entire India as her own family and presented before us an example worth emulating. She is an inspiration for all of us. The spirit of selfless service epitomized by Devkiji will give strength to the country’s fight against coronavirus,” he said.
The blood samples of over 200 people have tested negative for coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh overnight as the total cases remained at 348, a health department bulletin said on Thursday. No fresh Covid-19 cases were reported in the last 12 hours since 9 pm on Wednesday till 9 am on Thursday, it said. All the 217 blood samples tested during the period have returned negative, it added. The total number of Covid-19 positive cases in the state is 348. Four persons have died so far.
In Kashmir, authorities have intensified ground surveillance to track travellers, who hid their recent travel history, to contain the spread of coronavirus, PTI reported. The tracking of those persons who have travel history but are absconding is being taken up on a war-footing basis, officials said.
These measures have been taken after a group of five persons, who had travelled to an African country recently, tested positive for Covid-19. These persons were placed in administrative quarantine upon their arrival in Kashmir last month.
A woman working at a private company has been arrested for allegedly misbehaving with a block development officer (BDO) and his colleagues who caught her for violating the lockdown order in Odisha’s Jajpur district, PTI reported. The woman allegedly abused a team led by Danagadi BDO Mani Prasad Mishra when she was stopped from travelling in a vehicle during the lockdown, police said.
Jharkhand reported its first coronavirus death after a 72-year-old patient died in Bokaro district on Wednesday night, a health official said on Thursday. Bokaro District Chief Medical Officer Ashok Kumar Pathak said the man was kept in the isolation ward of a hospital after he showed symptoms of the virus on April 5. He later tested positive for the virus, he added.
With 540 new cases recorded in last 24 hours, India’s tally on Thursday rose to 5,734 coronavirus cases and 166 deaths, the Ministry of Health Affairs said. As many as 472 patients have been discharged so far. Follow coronavirus India updates here
A private medical practitioner in Indore died of coronavirus disease on Thursday taking the the toll to 22 in Madhya Pradesh. Indore CMHO Dr Pravin Jadia told The Indian Express that the practitioner, a pediatrician, in his late 50s, had tested positive three days ago. He said the practitioner was a diabetic and suffered from hyper tension. Read More
While billions of people around the world are currently living under a lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, researchers are still in the process of understanding the nature of its transmission. Numerous studies are being done to understand how contagious the virus is. This is important as it helps governments make more informed decisions on how to lift lockdown measures while safeguarding lives. In these studies, the mathematical figure ‘R0’, which indicates how fast an infection is spreading, is considered essential. What is ‘R0’, or reproduction number?
The total number of coronavirus cases rise to 51 in Bihar, most fresh cases from Siwan with travel history.
An 80-year-old woman, who was diagnosed with Covid-19 after developing severe respiratory problems died of cardiac arrest in Gadag district on Wednesday, taking the toll in Karnataka to six. Till date 191 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed. This includes 6 deaths & 28 discharges. 10 new positive cases have been reported from 8th April 2020, 5:00 PM to 9th April 2020, 12:00 noon.
The Lockdown in Odisha has been extended till April 30, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Thursday. He also said that schools will remain closed till June 17. Follow to get all the latest updates here
Twenty-eight-year-old Najaf Naqvi and 25-year-old Fariya Sultana had a little over 24 hours to prepare for their wedding. Naqvi and Sultana were slated to get married with all the pomp and family presence in Hyderabad on April 5, 2020, before the lockdown was announced. Then, they had two options — wait indefinitely while the world gets back to normal, or get married immediately, without any further delay. The couple chose to do the latter.
On April 6, their nikah happened with some 16 people in attendance (excluding the bride and the groom). The twist being — they were all in their respective houses, in different cities even, watching the wedding unfold on Skype, WhatsApp and other digital platforms.
On the 16th day of the 21-day nationwide lockdown, the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in India touched nearly 6,000, with 166 deaths and 472 recovered cases. Asserting that the government’s priority is to save each and every life, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday gave the first clear signal that some restrictions are likely to continue after the 21-day lockdown period ends on April 14. Here is a list of COVID-19 deaths and cases in India (state-wise) and across the globe (country-wise)
An expert committee constituted to advise the Karnataka government on the coronavirus pandemic has recommended a phased withdrawal of the lockdown even as the state recorded its fifth Covid-19 death from one of the hotspots in the northern city of Kalaburagi.
The recommendations of the committee include continuation of the lockdown in regions considered to be Covid-19 hotspots due to a large numbers of cases in the region, continuation of strict social distancing, shut down of educational institutions till May 31, and surveillance of virus cases for six months. Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa tweeted key aspects of the recommendations on Wednesday night. -- reports Johnson TA.
A two hundred-year-old folk art form from Bengal has found a new purpose during the novel coronavirus pandemic. Prevalent in West Bengal’s Hooghly and Birbhum districts, the bohurupee folk art form traditionally involves artistes donning elaborate costumes and makeup, in a bid to imitate mythological characters in Hinduism. Read More