India COVID-19 Cases: The government has released details of a plan to counter the spread.
The number of coronavirus cases increased by a whopping 704 in the last 24 hours to reach 4,281 today, 111 patients died and 319 people have recovered from the disease. With 13 days to go before the scheduled end of the 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government today said it was "monitoring the world situation every minute". "A decision in this regard will be declared at the right time," said Union minister Prakash Javadekar. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao said he has asked the Prime Minister for an extension of the lockdown. The government has approved an ordinance or executive order to slash the salaries of Central ministers and Members of parliament - starting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- by 30 per cent.
Here are the top 10 updates on coronavirus in India:
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao said he has told the Prime Minister, "We need to save lives. We can save the economy later". Barring lockdown, the country, he said, "has no other option". A survey by Boston Consulting Group says there should be lockdown till June 3," he added.
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and all state Governors have voluntarily decided to take a 30 per cent salary cut for a year as well. The 30 per cent cut in the salaries of Members of parliament will be implemented for one year starting April. The money will go to the country's consolidated fund, the minister said.
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 that was vehemently criticized by the opposition, which said it would not be in the interest of the people.
"Apart from cutting salaries of MP's and Ministers, the Central Government can save more than Rs 20,000 crore by scrapping the Central Vista redevelopment project and cutting down on non COVID-19 publicity expenses, said senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel.
The Indian Council of Medical Research, the nodal body of the country's battle against coronavirus, said it has tested more than 1 lakh samples. More than 11,400 samples were tested today, it said.
Mumbai's Wockhardt hospital has been temporarily shut and declared a containment zone after three doctors and 26 nurses tested positive for coronavirus. An investigation has been ordered into the outbreak, officials said.
In Delhi, 12 more staff members of Delhi State Cancer Institute tested positive for coronavirus, taking the number of positive staff members to 18. The number includes two doctors. The chain of infection had started a few days ago when a doctor tested positive. The hospital said he had contracted it from a patient who was asymptomatic.
Addressing BJP workers on the party's 40th foundation day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the battle against coronavirus will be a "long haul". "We do not have to tire, our resolve and mission are to emerge victorious in fight against this pandemic," he told BJP workers. He also applauded the "maturity and seriousness" shown by the public during the lockdown.
The Assam government said members of the Islamic missionary group Tablighi Jamaat, whose congregation in Delhi last month has set-off the biggest cluster of coronavirus cases in the country, will be charged with culpable homicide unless they come forward for medical screening. They have been asked to report to the nearest state-run health centre by 6 am on Tuesday.
Worldwide, 1.2 million people have been infected and nearly 66,000 killed.US President Donald Trump spoke to PM Modi on Saturday, asking for India to allow export of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine tablets to treat COVID-19 patients. India had halted sale of this drug, and its variations. As of Sunday, the US reported over three lakh cases and 8,000 deaths.
