Five deaths linked to COVID-19 have been reported across India in last 24 hours.
India recorded a jump of 354 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, which takes the total to 4,421, the Union Health Ministry said today, adding that 114 deaths linked to the highly contagious COVID-19 have been registered so far. This comes a day after the country recorded a single-day high of 704. If the current rate of increase continues, the country will have over 17,000 patients by the time ongoing nationwide lockdown ends on April 14, according to government data. On Sunday, the government acknowledged the rising numbers but said that without the cases linked to last month's controversial religious congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin, the doubling rate would have been much slower at 7.4 days. On "total lockdown" in the country, the government on Monday said it is "monitoring the world situation every minute". "A decision in this regard will be declared at the right time," said Union Minister Prakash Javadekar.
Here's your ten-point cheat sheet on coronavirus cases in India
Two more cases have been reported from Mumbai's Dharavi, one of the biggest slum in Asia where million people live within five square kilometres. The new cases take the total in the slum cluster to seven, including one death. Of Maharashtra's 868 coronavirus cases, Mumbai - one of the COVID-19 hotspots listed by the government- has reported 526 cases with 34 deaths. The Wockhardt Hospital in the city was shut yesterday and declared a containment zone after three doctors and 26 nurses tested positive.
US President Donald Trump on Monday warned of "retaliation" if India does not lift ban on export hydroxychloroquine, a key anti-malaria drug believed by many to be effective in the treatment of coronavirus. His remarks come nearly two weeks after the government banned export of the drug as experts test its efficacy in helping treat COVID-19 patients. Currently, the US has the most number of coronavirus cases in the world.
The salaries of central ministers and members of parliament - starting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi - will be slashed by 30 per cent for the coming year in view of the coronavirus outbreak and the expected economic downturn, the Union cabinet decided on Monday. President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and all state governors have also voluntarily decided to take the pay cut.
The government has also decided to suspend the MPLADS scheme for two years, saying Rs 7,900 crore from the MPLADS scheme will go to Consolidated Fund of India. The decision was vehemently criticised by the opposition that said it would not be in the interest of the people.
The Assam government is considering issuing entry permits as a temporary measure to regulate the entry of people in the state after the nationwide lockdown ends. This will be a special entry permit and not on the lines of Inner Line Permit, as required in some of the other north-eastern states.
In Delhi, which has the second highest number of cases in India, 12 more staff members of the Delhi State Cancer Institute tested positive for coronavirus, taking the number of infected staff members to 18. The number includes two doctors. The chain of infection started a few days ago when a doctor tested positive. The hospital said he had contracted it from a patient who was asymptomatic.
India witnessed a surge in the number of cases last week after more than 1,000 people linked to the controversial Delhi mosque event tested positive. At least 17 states have reported COVID-19 cases linked to the gathering. On Monday, the Assam government said members of the Islamic missionary group Tablighi Jamaat, who held the congregation in Delhi last month, will be charged with culpable homicide unless they come forward for medical screening.
The Indian Council of Medical Research, which has so far conducted around 90,000 coronavirus tests, said orders have been placed for 5 lakh rapid antibody testing kits.
Worldwide, more than 13 lakh people have contracted infection; over 74,000 have died since the novel coronavirus outbreak originated in China's Wuhan city late last year. China on Tuesday reported no new coronavirus deaths for the first time since it started publishing figures in January, the National Health Commission said.
The World Health Organization warned Monday that wearing masks alone would not be enough to defeat the global coronavirus pandemic. "Masks should only ever be used as part of a comprehensive package of interventions. There is no black or white answer, and no silver bullet. Masks alone cannot stop the COVID-19 pandemic," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual news conference.
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