COVID-19 Cases India Updates: Coronavirus cases rose to 21,700 in India on Thursday.
Coronavirus India Live Updates: India registered 1,752 new coronavirus cases on Friday - its biggest single-day spike since the beginning of the pandemic - taking the total to 23,452. The number of deaths reached 723 with 37 more people dying from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said.
For the first time, Bengal has officially linked 57 deaths to coronavirus. The state government today revealed that according to its death audit committee, 57 COVID-19 patients had died, but asserted that 39 of these were due to co-morbidities.
Only 18 of the deaths were because of COVID-19, Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha told the media. "Balance 39 deaths were due to comorbidities and COVID-19 was incidental," Mr Sinha said.
Central teams to asses alleged coronavirus lockdown violations and other gaps in the fight to control the contagion will be sent to three more states, Gujarat, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, the government said today, amid a row with Bengal.
The situation is "especially serious" in major hotspot districts or emerging hotspots like Ahmedabad and Surat in Gujarat, Thane in Maharashtra, Hyderabad in Telangana and Chennai in Tamil Nadu, the Union Home Ministry said today in tweets.
Five Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs) will be sent to assess the situation in the states, issue directions to state authorities and submit their report to the centre "in the larger interest of the general public, the ministry announced.
The COVID-19 crisis has taught India to "be self-sufficient and not depend on others for anything we need in our daily lives", Prime Minister Narendra Modi told village chiefs during a video conference held amid a nationwide lockdown to break the chain of transmission of the COVID-19 virus. "Coronavirus has sent so many challenges our way, but we must always learn from the situation we are in in life. It has given us a lot to think about and taught about the way we act. It has made it absolutely clear that we have to depend only on ourselves for our survival," the Prime Minister said during his address on the occasion of Panchayati Raj Day.
Maharashtra remains the worst-hit state with 6,427 cases and 283 deaths. With 522 more people testing positive, Mumbai alone has 4,025 coronavirus cases as of Thursday. The increase was the single-biggest jump for the city since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of deaths in the city rose by six to 167, officials said.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases in India Highlights:
World
67,69,38,430Cases
62,55,71,965Active
4,44,81,893Recovered
68,84,572Deaths
Coronavirus has spread to 200 countries. The total confirmed cases worldwide are 67,69,38,430 and 68,84,572 have died; 62,55,71,965 are active cases and 4,44,81,893 have recovered as on January 9, 2024 at 10:54 am.
India
4,50,19,214 475Cases
3,919 -83Active
4,44,81,893 552Recovered
5,33,402 6Deaths
In India, there are 4,50,19,214 confirmed cases including 5,33,402 deaths. The number of active cases is 3,919 and 4,44,81,893 have recovered as on January 9, 2024 at 8:00 am.
State & District Details
Coronavirus In US: Donald Trump Clarifies Remark On COVID-19 TreatmentUS President Donald Trump on Friday played down a furor over his suggestion that people could try injecting disinfectants to fight the novel coronavirus, claiming he was being sarcastic, news agency AFP reported.
"I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you, just to see what would happen," he told journalists at the White House.
Trump late Thursday turned during a press conference to government scientists in the room and asked them about disinfectant.
Stranded Kashmiri Labourers Leave Himanchal Pradesh For Jammu And Kashmir In 6 Buses
About 140 stranded Kashmiri labourers left Shimla for Jammu and Kashmir on Friday evening, news agency PTI reported.
They left in six buses on Friday at 10.30 pm after Himachal Pradesh government gave them the permission amid the coronavirus curfew, a Kashmiri labourer said.
Thanking Himachal Pradesh government and local people for helping them during the curfew, he said a total of 168 Kashmiri labourers have been provided permission to go to their native places in Jammu and Kashmir.
Coronavirus Lockdown News: Centre Allows Shops To Open With Conditions
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday allowed opening of shops registered under the Shops and Establishment Act with some exceptions.
As per the order, the shops, including those in residential complexes and market complexes, will be allowed to open.
The relaxations, however, are not applicable to the shops shopping malls and hotspots areas.
Coronavirus News From UP: Priyanka Gandhi Praises UP Government's Step To Bring Back Migrant Workers
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday praised the initiative taken by the Uttar Pradesh government to bring back migrant workers stranded in different states due to the coronavirus lockdown.
Her remarks came after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath instructed state officials to prepare a list of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh stranded in other states to help bring them back.
Trainee IPS officer tests positive for coronavirus in Madhya PradeshA trainee IPS officer tested positive in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh on Friday, a health official said.
The officer had earlier caught a NSA detainee, a COVID-19 patient, in neighbouring Narsinghpur district when he escaped from hospital.
The IPS official himself was found to have contracted virus on Friday, said District Chief Medical and Health Officer M K Mishra.
A 25-year-old man and his 58-year-old father were charged under the National Security Act (NSA) after they allegedly hurled stones at a policeman in Chandan Nagar locality in Indore on April 7.
The young man escaped two weeks ago from Jabalpur Medical Hospital. The trainee IPS officer had gone to catch him.
The NSA detainee's 58-old father who had been imprisoned at Indore Central Jail tested positive on April 14.
He is being treated in Indore. Indore Central Jail authorities suspect that because of him a warder and six other prisoners caught infection.
13 fresh COVID-19 cases in Telangana; State gets Centre's nod for plasma therapyThe Telangana government has got the Centre's approval to use plasma therapy in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, state Health Minister E Rajender said on Friday, as 13 fresh cases of the virus were reported.
With 13 fresh cases reported on Friday, the number of virus cases reported in the state rose to 983, he said.
No death occurred on Friday and the number of people who died to the virus in the state was 25, E Rajender said.
The number of people who have been discharged from hospitals was 291.
The number of active cases was 663, he said.
"Plasma therapy.We applied. We did not get permission. We asked how can it be so late (in giving permission), it should be given on war-footing and that it should be accepted. They (Centre) said you can do it and permission is deemed to have been given...They gave permission to us also. We will use it for patients who are serious," he told reporters.
He hoped that, as per the current trend, there would be decline in cases in Vikarabad, Gadwal, Suryapet districts, where considerable number of cases have been reported, and also in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area.
The majority of the cases in Telangana have been reported from the GHMC.
"If today's trend continues, there would be control soon and it could be positive in Telangana," he said.
Hoping for an increase in discharge of COVID-19 patients after recovery, he, however, said there is variation in the number of days it took for patients to test negative.
One more tests positive for COVID-19 in Uttarakhand, total cases rise to 48One more person tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttarakhand on Friday, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 48, officials said.
A 40-year-old man from Haldwani in Nainital district has tested positive, Additional Secretary Health Yugal Kishore Pant said.
He had come in contact with a COVID-19 positive person, the official said.
Out of a total 48 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state so far, 25 have recovered, he said.
Pant said the Indian Council of Medical Research has also authorised the laboratory at the Doon Medical College here to carry out tests for COVID-19.
With this, the number of coronavirus testing labs in Uttarakhand has risen to three, he said. The other two, already carrying out such tests, are Haldwani medical college and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh.
Meanwhile, the IAS Association of Uttarakhand has decided to donate one day's salary of every member for the next six months to the Chief Minister's relief fund to assist the fight against COVID-19, association president Manisha Panwar said.
S Jaishankar discusses coronavirus with counterparts from Qatar, Niger, UAE, PalestineExternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday spoke to his counterparts from Qatar, the UAE, Niger, Palestine and Czech Republic and held discussions around the coronavirus infection.
In conversation with Qatar Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, S Jaishankar discussed their experience of dealing with coronavirus infection and also thanked him for taking care of the Indian community.
"A cordial conversation with FM @MBA_AlThani_ of #Qatar. Discussed our #coronavirus experiences. Thanked him for taking care of the Indian community. Such challenging times will only further strengthen our friendship," he said in a tweet.
S Jaishankar also spoke to United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed.
"Pandemics further highlight the need for international cooperation. Few better examples than our relationship with #UAE. Applaud the generosity of spirit and clarity of policy that has characterised its approach. Thank HH @ABZayed for the warm conversation today," he said in another tweet.
S Jaishankar also spoke to Niger Foreign Minister Kalla Ankourao and assured him of India's support in meeting the coronavirus challenge, including medicines.
"Just spoke with FM @kallaankourao of #Niger. Assured him of India''s support in meeting the #coronavirus challenge, including medicines. Discussed its global implications in the context of the United Nations," he tweeted.
S Jaishankar also discussed the coronavirus situation with Palestine Foreign Minister Riad Al Malki.
"Welcomed speaking with FM Riad Al Malki of #Palestine. Discussed the #coronavirus situation. Assured him of Indian medical assistance," he said in a tweet.
He also exchanged experiences on coronavirus response with Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek.
The minister said the two leaders agreed that there are valuable lessons for international cooperation.
"Glad to catch up with FM @TPetricek of #CzechRepublic. Exchanged our experiences on #coronavirus response. Agreed that there are valuable lessons for international cooperation. Look forward to keeping in touch," he said in a tweet.
Coronavirus - 2,650 people arrested in Assam for violating lockdown: PoliceOver 2,650 people have been arrested across the state in the last 31 days for violating the ongoing nationwide lockdown to contain COVID-19 and Rs 1.22 crore collected from them as fine, Assam Police said on Friday.
In its daily report on the lockdown, Assam Police mentioned that 1,328 cases have been registered for 2,208 incidents since the beginning of the restrictions.
Accordingly, 2,688 people have been arrested for these cases, it said.
The police have also realised a total fine of Rs 1,22,10,000 for violating the norms of the lockdown.
Besides, 19,371 vehicles of all types and 25 boats have been detained from various parts of the state during this period.
COVID-19: Himachal Chief Minister urges Centre to provide more ventilatorsHimachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday urged Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan to provide more ventilators to the state to meet any emergent situation arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a video conference with Dr Harsh Vardhan, the chief minister said that no positive case of the novel coronavirus was reported from six of the 12 districts of Himachal Pradesh.
Mr Thakur also informed Dr Vardhan about the various steps being taken by the state government to tackle the coronavirus outbreak effectively.
So far, 40 COVID-19 cases and one death have been reported in Himachal Pradesh, while 18 patients have been cured or discharged, according to health ministry data.
COVID-19 death count rises to 25, cases climb to 1,621 in UPThe death count due to coronavirus rose to 25 in Uttar Pradesh on Friday, with one fresh casualty and the number of cases climbed to 1,621 as 111 more people tested positive for the infection, according to official data.
The latest casualty is a person from Meerut, a health department release said.
Seven people have died of coronavirus in Agra, five in Moradabad, four in Meerut, three in Kanpur and one each in Aligarh, Basti, Varanasi, Bulandshahr, Lucknow and Firozabad, it said.
A total of 226 coronavirus patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals, it stated.
Principal Secretary, Health, Amit Mohan Prasad said 57 of the state''s 75 districts have so far reported coronavirus cases.
The fresh cases were reported from 16 districts of the state, including 29 from Kanpur, 25 from Saharanpur, 10 from Agra, nine each from Firozabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar, and seven each from Moradabad and Varanasi, among others, he said.
Coronavirus: Delhi Police officer tests positive for COVID-19, 3 colleagues quarantinedA Delhi Police Assistant Sub-Inspector tested positive for novel coronavirus, following which his three colleagues were sent for home-quarantine, officials said on Friday.
According to a senior police officer, the ASI is posted with the Crime Branch office at Kotwali and tested positive on Thursday. He was later shifted to the staff quarters in Mandoli prison premises.
The police suspect that the ASI got infected from a family in his neighbourhood in Shahdara which had positive cases.
Three police officers who used to share the office room with the infected jawan have been sent for home-quarantine, the officer said.
When the ASI complained about the amenities at the quarantine centre in northeast Delhi where he was kept after being tested positive, he was shifted to a private hospital in south Delhi on Friday morning, the officer added.
Coronavirus: 9 CRPF personnel test positive for COVID-19 in DelhiNine CRPF personnel on Friday tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Delhi, officials said.
The personnel underwent tests after ''contact tracing'' was done in the backdrop of a head constable working as a nursing assistant was declared COVID-19 positive a few days back, they said.
As many as 50 personnel have been quarantined after these cases came to light in the CRPF''s 31st battalion in the national capital.
The nine who tested COVID-19 positive include seven constables, a head constable and a sub-inspector rank officer, the officials said.
COVID-19: 4 trainee soldier craftsmen test positive for coronavirus in GujaratFour soldier craftsmen undergoing training at the Military Station in Vadodara have tested positive for coronavirus, officials said on Friday.
This is the first instance in Gujarat where members of the armed forces have been found to be infected with coronavirus, which has claimed over 100 lives in the state so far.
These trainee soldiers were admitted to government-run SSG Hospital in Vadodara, over 100 km from, after their medical reports came positive for COVID-19 two days back, said a statement issued by defence PRO for Gujarat, Puneet Chadha.
"Four soldier craftsmen undergoing training at the Military Station in Baroda (Vadodara) tested COVID-19 positive on April 22.
Coronavirus cases in Delhi rise to 2,514; death count mounts to 53The total number of coronavirus cases in the national capital on Friday rose to 2,514, with 138 new cases and three fresh deaths being reported in a day, according to the Delhi government authorities.
Of the total number of 53 fatalities reported till date, 29 of the victims were aged 60 years and above, making over 54 per cent of the total death cases, they said.
Fourteen of them were aged between 50-59 years and 10 were aged less than 50 years, officials said.
By Thursday night, the number of cases of the deadly virus in the city stood at 2,376 including 50 deaths.
With three more fatalities, the death toll from COVID-19 in Delhi has risen to 53.
Chhattisgarh lockdown: 75 buses for 1,500 students stranded in KotaThe Chhattisgarh government on Friday sent 75 buses to Kota in Rajasthan to bring back 1,500
students from the state stuck there due to the lockdown for the coronavirus outbreak.
The buses, along with doctors in an ambulance as well as senior police officials, left from the Police Parade Ground on the instructions of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, an official said.
"Each bus will carry 25 students. Strict compliance of norms in place to combat the virus outbreak will be ensured during the journey. The students will be quarantined after they reach here and will be allowed to go home after being medically examined," he said.
Mr Baghel had spoken to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday seeking permission to bring these students back, he added.
Coronavirus: Odisha launches portal for registration of migrant workersAnticipating the return of about 5 lakh migrant workers to the state after lifting of the lockdown on May 3, Odisha government on Friday formally launched a portal for registration of names to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The migrant workers will have to register their name and address in the portal covid19.odisha.gov.in.
Anyone who wants to return to Odisha after lockdown via any means (air/train/road) is required to register by filling up the form online and offline, said Panchayati Raj minister Pratap Jena.
"It is compulsory for everyone to register on this portal. The person who does not register will not be allowed entry into the state," said Panchayati Raj secretary D K Singh.
Mr Jena said the forms are also available in every gram panchayats for registration as well as in the digital format.
He said the registration can be made by any family member in the village or by any friend or relative. This apart, the online registration is also available.
COVID-19: Rajasthan allows factories to operate up to 12 hours a day with reduced workforce
The Rajasthan government has allowed the working time in factories to be increased from 8 hours to 12 hours per day with limited workforce, state Labour Minister Tikaram Jully said on Friday.
Rajasthan Factories and Boilers Inspection Department has given exemption to factories to operate at full capacity with around 60-65 percent of the normal manpower.
The exemption has been given to factories to allow maximum 12 hours of work per day for the next three months, the minister said.
He said overtime, for up to a maximum of 4 hours a day or 24 hours per week, will be paid as per the management rules.
He said the order will be applicable to the factories registered under the Factories Act, 1948.
COVID-19: K Palaniswami asks Arvind Kejriwal to extend best care to Tamil Nadu Islamic Sect members in Delhi
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Friday urged his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal to extend ''best possible care'' for the over 500 hospitalised and quarantined Tablighis from the state in the national capital and flagged their grievances of ''stay conditions'' and non-availability of ''timely food.''
Palaniswami drew the attention of Kejriwal that 559 Tablighis from Tamil Nadu, who had attended Tabligh Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month have either been hospitalised or quarantined.
As many as 183 and 376 people were in various hospitals and quarantine centres respectively in Delhi, he said in a letter to the Delhi Chief Minister and listed out the names of such health facilities and locations of the centres.
Coronavirus: Ensure uninterrupted TB diagnosis, treatment during outbreak, Centre tells states
The Union Health Ministry has written to all states and Union Territories asking them to ensure all facilities under the National TB Elimination Programme remain fully functional and that there is no interruption in diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis patients notwithstanding the coronavirus outbreak.
According to a health ministry statement, the comprehensive directive include providing one month of drugs at a time to all tuberculosis patients, either newly diagnosed or have been undergoing treatment, including those suffering from drug-resistant TB, at both public and private healthcare facilities.
"States and UTs are to ensure that patients with or without ID receive medicines at a health facility convenient for them, to prevent any form of interruption in treatment," it stated.
The directives also state that even if a TB patient is unable to approach a health facility, arrangements should be made by to deliver drugs at the doorstep of the patient wherever possible.
Considering the challenges posed due to COVID-19 pandemic and its resultant lockdown, the health ministry has issued orders to ensure adequate drugs are available.
COVID-19: Official suspended after booking children for flouting quarantine in Uttarkashi
An official overseeing COVID-19 related duties here was suspended for registering a case against a six-month-old child and a 3-year-old girl under charges of violating home quarantine.
The action against COVID-19 Magistrate Girish Chandra Rana has been taken as no case can be registered against children below eight years under the Juvenile Justice Act, Uttarkashi District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan said on Friday.
A family along with their two children had come from Panchkula in Haryana to their native village in Chinyalisaur area of the district during the lockdown. They were asked to stay in home quarantine but they did not follow the orders.
After being informed about the incident, the DM ordered that cases be registered against people who flouted home quarantine rules in the area.
COVID-19: 4 temple trusts contribute Rs 3.75 crore to Himachal Pradesh government
Four temple trusts in Himachal Pradesh have contributed Rs 3.75 crores to the state government to fight COVID-19, the chief minister's office said on Friday.
Naina Devi Mandir Trust has contributed Rs 2.5 crores, Baba Balak Nath Shahtalai Mandir Trust Rs one crore and Laxmi Narayan Mandir Trust as well as Maharishi Markandeya Temple Trust have contributed Rs 25 lakh, the CMO tweeted.
Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur expressed gratitude to the temple trusts for their generous contributions to HP SDMA COVID-19 State Disaster Response Fund for the ongoing fight against novel coronavirus.
Coronavirus news: Uber offers free rides worth Rs 75 lakh to Delhi governmentt for non-COVID patients
Uber on Friday offered free rides worth Rs 75 lakh to the Delhi government for transporting frontline healthcare workers, government officials on COVID-19 related duties and for other essential services.
As part of its offer, the ride hailing firm has partnered with the government to deploy 200 UberMedic cars, free of charge, to transport non-COVID-19 patients in coordination with the Centralised Ambulance Trauma Services (CATS) Ambulance Helpline, a statement said.
The partnership with the Delhi government is part of Uber's global commitment to provide 10 million rides and food deliveries free of charge, recently announced by CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.
The company said all the UberMedic cars being provided to Delhi government are being fitted with a roof-to-floor plastic sheeting enclosing the driver, thereby limiting contact with the rider.
Coronavirus cases in Delhi rise to 2,514; number of deaths at 53
Coronavirus cases in Delhi rose to 2,514 on Friday while the number of deaths climbed to 53, news agency PTI quoted authorities as saying.
COVID-19: Number of deaths in US crosses 50,000
The number of deaths in the US from the coronavirus pandemic surpassed 50,000 on Friday, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University.
According to the tracker, 50,031 people have now died in the US from COVID-19 since the start of the global health crisis, with more than 870,000 confirmed cases.
Coronavirus news: RSS launches helpline service for women in distress during lockdown
In order to help women in distress during the nationwide lockdown, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has launched a helpline service for providing counselling and guidance to the women who are victims of domestic violence, harassment, abuse etc.
"Number 817-817-1234 has been issued as a helpline number. Women can call and tell about their problems and ask for suggestions and help. They can also seek counselling and can discuss their problems with the counsellor," read a statement from RSS.
Women facing domestic violence, harassment, assault by husband, other violence can take assistance by giving a call on the helpline.
COVID-19: 9 lakh people under surveillance across India
As many as 9,45,915 people are under community surveillance through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), as per the data revealed by Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Friday.
Dr Sujeet Singh, Director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), said: "Through our continuous efforts, we have kept over 9 lakh people, who might possibly be infected with coronavirus, on surveillance based on the data collected from 734 districts from across India. The collected data was effectively analysed through epidemiological intelligence."
"Three major steps taken by the Central government have greatly helped in containing the spread of coronavirus. These include blocking of international flights in March so that no infected person can entre India, increase in the testing capacity, and lockdown," Dr Singh told ANI.
"We have created a live dashboard to see real-time surveillance. We used to directly capture from districts all data like logistics, hospitals, and quarantine and isolation beds. Through this surveillance system, we also analysed that in the future if cases increase, then how much logistics, PPE kits, manpower and resources we will need." he added.
Coronavirus news: Madhya Pradesh cases up by 75 to 1,846; number of deaths rises to 92
As 75 more people, of whom 37 in Bhopal alone, tested coronavirus positive till Friday afternoon, the number of such cases in Madhya Pradesh climbed to 1,846, health officials said.
Seven more people succumbed to the infection in the state since Thursday night, which increased the number of the deaths to 92, the officials said.
Four of them died in Ujjain, two in Bhopal and one in Khargone, they said.
According to them, the number of patients discharged so far in the state is 210, while the active patients are 1,544. So far, 35,076 have been tested.
Of the total number of deaths, 55 were reported in Indore alone, the officials said.
Since Thursday night, Bhopal recorded the highest number of COVID-19 positive cases at 37, followed by Ujjain 26, Khargone 10 and Jabalpur and Dewas one each, they said.
Maharashtra lockdown: 559 units resume operations, over 8,500 staff attendA total of 559 industrial units have resumed operations in Maharashtra as part of easing of
restrictions since April 20 in the lockdown in place for the coronavirus outbreak, officials said on Friday.
As many as 7432 applications were received, a source said, adding the highest number of applications, at 1,418, was from Pune while the highest number of productions units resuming work, at 282, was in Nashik.
"A total of 559 units began production and 8808 staff have reported to work as of now. The total number of employees required is 2,15,053. The employees who have reported to work have shown no COVID-19 symptoms," he said.
He said 4,072 applications were received for motor pass while the number of vehicles required is 8955.
The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has developed a portal to grant permission to units to resume operations, he added.
Amarinder Singh asks Defence Minister to allow retired defence personnel to travel homePunjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday urged Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to grant special permission to defence personnel who have retired from service to return to their home states amid the countrywide lockdown due to coronavirus.
In a letter to the defence minister, Captain Singh said that in case it is not feasible to enable their return home immediately, then the Command Headquarters across the country should be directed to take special care of them until these defence personnel are able to get the requisite permissions.
Captain Singh pointed out that Punjab contributes significantly to the strength of the armed forces who are engaged in defending the nation, an official statement said.
Every month, a significant number of defence personnel retire from the services, he said, adding that a large number of them, hailing from Punjab, are unable to come back to the state at present in view of the lockdown, and continue to be stationed in their last place of posting.
"Undoubtedly they are facing considerable mental trauma because of the inability to be reunited with their near and dear ones," said the chief minister.
COVID-19: 969 units of blood donated in Mizoram during lockdown
Mizoram now has sufficient stock of blood bags to meet urgent requirements after 969 units of blood were donated during the ongoing lockdown, an official said in Aizawl on Friday.
There was a bit of crisis during the initial stage of the lockdown but the situation is normal now, the official said.
Following an appeal by the state government, several organisations and church bodies came forward to donate blood and it was collected strictly maintaining the social distancing norms, he said.
Of the 30,499 units of blood collected in the state during 2019-20, the official said, 27,727 units were donated voluntarily.
72 cases registered, over 3,200 people detained for defying lockdown norms in DelhiOver 70 cases were registered and 3,229 people detained in the national capital on Friday for violating government orders during the lockdown imposed to control the coronavirus outbreak, police said.
According to the data shared by the police, 72 cases were registered under section 188 (for disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code till 5 pm.
A total of 3,229 people were detained under section 65 (persons bound to comply with reasonable directions of police officers) and 269 vehicles were impounded under section 66 of the Delhi Police Act, they stated.
A total of 410 movement passes were issued, police said.
47 cases were registered against people for stepping out of their houses without wearing masks.
Since March 24, a total of 1,14,723 people have been detained so far for violating orders under section 65 of the Delhi Police Act.
Coronavirus news: Sikh community in US city distributing thousands of meals, masks daily
The Sikh Community in the US city of Los Angeles is distributing thousands of meals a day and masks to healthcare professionals and people in need as the coronavirus outbreak continues to upend lives across the country.
A report in The Los Angeles Times said that the United Sikh Mission and the Sikh community of Riverside in the state first started out by distributing 175 meals from a drive-through created outside the Riverside Sikh Temple.
The community is now serving up to 1,400 meals a day at the Sikh temple, has provided thousands of masks to the local community and is handing out groceries on the weekend.
So far, the group has provided more than 40,000 meals over the past month to healthcare professionals and people in need.
Coronavirus - Over 10,000 people arrested in Rajasthan so far for violating lockdown: PoliceOver 10,000 people have been arrested and nearly 1.03 lakh vehicles seized for violation of lockdown orders and curfew in Rajasthan so far, a senior police officer said on Friday.
Around 9,000 of them were arrested under section 151 of CrPC, Additional Director General (Crime) B L Soni said.
He said over Rs one crore has been collected in fines.
"More than 10,000 people have been arrested in the state under different sections in connection with the violation of lockdown," he said.
The police have filed 164 cases over misuse of social media, he added.
The officer said nearly 80,000 personnel of Rajasthan Police and 20,000 home guards have been deployed across the state to ensure compliance of the lockdown imposed to combat coronavirus.
Coronavirus: Community surveillance is key tool to tackle COVID-19: NCDC Chief
Community surveillance is a ''key weapon'' in tackling the coronavirus across the country, said Dr Sujeet Singh, Director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Friday.
"We are tackling a disease, we neither have a vaccine nor do we have an effective and a proper course of treatment, one of the key weapons in tackling this virus is community surveillance," said Dr Singh.
"Through community surveillance, we are able to identify the people who are affected by the disease whether they are symptomatic, asymptomatic or even mildly symptomatic. After identification we can admit them into quarantine or isolation centres," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on March 24 announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. Later, the lockdown was extended till May 3.
COVID-19: Goa makes wearing of masks compulsoryThe Goa government on Friday made it compulsory for all people in the state to wear masks while stepping out of their houses as a preventive measure against coronavirus.
In a statement issued, the government said that action will be taken against those who violate the order.
"Wearing masks is compulsory at public and work places, including streets, hospitals, working sites, etc, under the Goa Epidemic Diseases (Act), COVID-19 Regulations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the State," it said.
"The violators shall be liable for penalty of Rs 100 and in case of non-payment, shall be liable for action under IPC section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant)," the statement added.
Seven people, all natives of Goa, had tested coronavirus positive in the state. However, all of them have recovered.
Coronavirus: 1,400 students from Haryana, Assam leave for homeNearly 1,400 students from Haryana and Assam left Kota for their home towns by buses on Friday morning, while over 2,000 from various places in Rajasthan are scheduled to leave in the evening.
Meanwhile, students from Bihar have appealed to Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of their home state, to make arrangements for their return and staged a silent protest.
Over 50 students from the Union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Diu had left for home in three buses on Thursday noon and more than 250 students from Rajasthan had left for their respective home districts till Thursday night.
Eighteen buses carrying students from Assam and 31 with students from Haryana were scheduled to leave Kota on Friday, ADM (administration), Kota Narendra Gupta, who is monitoring the task, said.
At least 50 students from Dadra and Nagar Haveli and six from Diu had left Kota in three buses on Thursday noon, while students from Bundi, Jhalawar and Baran in Rajasthan wre dispatched in 10 buses on Thursday night, he added.
Nearly 1,000 students from Haryana left for home on Friday morning and about 400 students from Assam have started the journey towards their home state.
The Assam government had hired buses from private operators to take the students from the state back home, an official of a coaching institute who is associated with the task of sending students home, said.
Over 2,000 students from various cities and towns of Rajasthan were also scheduled to leave Kota in the evening, he added.
"The Haryana government has heard our plight and sent buses to take us back home. We are grateful to the Haryana government," Anjali Singh, an NEET aspirant who hails from Gurugram, said.
Meanwhile, over 12,000 students from Bihar, who are stuck here since the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus was imposed, appealed to Nitish Kumar to call them back on Thursday.
They held up placards with the appeal written on those from their respective places while maintaining social distancing.
Five more test positive for COVID-19 in Odisha, total count 94Five more persons tested positive for COVID-19 in Odisha's Bhadrak district on Friday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 94, officials said on Friday.
All five of them, aged between 24 and 41 years, had recently returned to Bhadrak from neighbouring West Bengal, the state Health and Family Welfare Department said, adding the contact-tracing and other follow-up actions were being undertaken.
One of those afflicted hailed from Basudevpur, while two each belonged to Tihidi and Dhamnagar blocks in Bhadrak district, an official of the department said.
Taking the fresh patients into account, the number of COVID-19 cases in Bhadrak district rose to 16. Two of them have recovered.
Coronavirus: Over 800 COVID-19 patients recover in Delhi, 735 of them in last 6 daysOver 800 coronavirus patients in Delhi have been cured till Thursday, with 735 of them recovering from April 18-23, according to data shared by the city health department.
The total number of coronavirus cases in the national capital on Thursday rose to 2,376, while the death count from COVID-19 stood at 50, according to the Delhi government authorities.
Of the total number of 50 fatalities reported till date, 27 of the victims were aged 60 and above, making over 52 per cent of the total death cases. Thirteen of them were aged between 50-59 and 10 were aged less than 50 years, officials said.
As many as 808 patients have recovered and the number of active cases are 1,518 till date according to the Delhi health department's latest bulletin issued on Thursday.
On Thursday, 84 patients had recovered. On Wednesday, as many as 113 patients had recovered while the figures for Tuesday and Monday stood at 180 and 141 respectively.
On April 18 and April 19, the corresponding figures of those who were cured were 134 and 83 respectively, according to the data.
The total number of people who have recovered from April 18-23 stands at 735, a major share of the total number of recovered patients in Delhi till April 23.
Coronavirus: Odisha starts intense contact tracing in COVID-19 hotspots in 3 districtsThe Odisha government on Friday stepped up contact tracing in coronavirus hotspots in Balasore, Bhadrak and Jajpur districts to identify people who have recently returned from other states, especially West Bengal.
The state government has imposed a 60-hour complete shutdown from 10 pm Thursday till April 26 in the three districts following a spurt in COVID-19 cases.
With one more person found infected with the deadly virus in Bhadrak on Friday, the three districts together account for 34 of the total 90 positive cases in the state.
While Bhadrak and Jajpur have 12 confirmed cases each, Balasore has 10 patients.
The administrations of the three districts with help of sarpanchs (village heads) and urban local body functionaries have launched a drive to trace the people who had come in contact with coronavirus patients.
Coronavirus: Bengal migrant labourers quarantined after trekking 500km from OdishaEleven migrant labourers of Murshidabad and Birbhum districts of West Bengal who had trekked all the way from Odisha were stopped by police around 200 km from their homes in Nadia district.
The migrant workers are now quarantined in a building in Nadia.
However, while trudging over 500 km, the workers claimed they had not forgotten to put on masks and maintain social distancing.
The district authorities had given them an assurance after stopping them on Wednesday that transport would be provided to take them home, Superintendent of Police Ranaghat
police district VSR Anantanag said. But they were not sent home till Thursday evening.
When contacted, Nadia District Magistrate Vibhu Goel said, "We cannot go beyond the lockdown guidelines. Those people went through thermal screening. But they have to stay
in quarantine for the scheduled period as directed by medical experts.
"They came from another state. So we have placed them in a new and sanitised building at Nagarukhra in Haringhata, which is going to serve as a quarantine centre in Haringhata block."
Coronavirus: Women cops deployed in Kolkata's containment zones to enforce lockdownOver 40 women personnel of the Kolkata Police combat force have been deployed to enforce
lockdown in some of the city's containment zones -- parts of Metiabruz, Garden Reach, Park Circus, Tiljala and Topsia -- a senior officer said on Friday.
The female personnel have been asked to reach out to the women in these areas and explain to them the need to stay at home in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Their primary job is to help local policemen enforce total lockdown and ensure that people are not stepping out of their homes in the containment zones.
"They will explain the situation to the women residing in these areas, who, in turn, will pass on the information to their family members," the officer said.
The presence of these women personnel, donning special battle gears, will help in ensuring that people don't step out of homes, unless absolutely necessary, he said.
"They are trained and skilled enough to handle any situation. They will do everything to dissuade people from breaking norms," the senior officer said.
Some women personnel have also been stationed at Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar for emergencies if any, he added.
Since last week, the Kolkata Police has tightened its vigil in containment areas of the city, and deployed armed personnel to ensure complete enforcement of the lockdown.
Rajnath Singh reviews overall preparedness of armed forcesDefence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday directed the top commanders of the armed forces to ensure that India's adversaries do not get any opportunity to exploit the current situation arising out of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said.
At a high-level meeting, Mr Singh reviewed the operational preparedness of armed forces and asked the top military brass to be "fully vigilant" to deal with any possible external security challenge facing the nation, they said.
Officials the top army brass apprised Singh about the situation along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir as well in areas close to the border with China.
Mr Singh also directed the armed forces to ensure judicial utilisation of financial resources in view of adverse impact of the pandemic on the country's economy.
Officials said Rajnath Singh asked top military commanders to identify tasks and projects which could assist revival of economy.
The meeting was attended by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, Army Chief Gen M M Naravane, Chief of Navy Staff Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Secretary Defence (Finance) Gargi Kaul.
Top military officials from key commands of the Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force also attended the meeting through video conference.
Karnataka fisherwoman spends her savings to feed needy amid lockdownWhile several state governments and NGOs are actively working to provide essentials to the needy amid the COVID-19 lockdown, a fisherwoman in Karnataka's Udupi has proved that even a small gesture of help for others can make a huge difference in the society.
A fisherwoman, Sharadakka, distributed rice to 140 needy families in her neighbourhood during the ongoing lockdown. The contribution was made by spending all her life savings amounting to Rs 30,000. The amount was saved by her over a period of time in an effort to build a house for herself. On Thursday Udupi Deputy Commissioner G. Jagadeesh visited her and ensured help to build her house.
"Spending her meagre earnings, Sharadakka generously filled many empty stomachs amid the nation-wide lockdown, which is a matter of pride," said the Deputy Commissioner.
Coronavirus: Pointers from the health ministry presser- There have been 1,684 cases in 24 hours; The recovery rate is 20.5% and the doubling time is now 14 days
- Effect of lockdown is visible. Effects will be visible till 2nd week of May
- The decision of lockdown was a timely one. It was taken with carefully and scientifically with all experts on-board.
- Country has changed its behaviour. There was a jan-andolan to contain the pandemic. Everyone has come together to fight this. Planning how to take our success forward with your support and suggestion. Steps taken to control this pandemic was timely and we can definitely win this.
- Discussed clinical management of admitted patients, door-to-door survey, orientation and training of healthcare workers.
- Over 40,000 people have been identified and quarantined related to the Delhi mosque event, Centre says
- We have an established network of trained professionals. They know how to respond to any contagious disease. We also have a containment process. We monitor suspects for 28 days. Our special teams work to ensure this, health ministry said
Delhi Police appeals people to offer prayers at home during Ramzan
In the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic, Delhi Police on Friday appealed people to offer prayers and have ''sehri'' (pre-dawn meal) at their homes during the holy month of Ramzan.
"I wish people on Ramzan. I appeal to people to offers prayers and have ''sehri'' (pre-dawn meal) at home during the holy month. Azaan should be offered as per the guidelines of the National Green Tribunal. Please do not venture out of your homes during the lockdown," MS Randhawa, Delhi Police PRO said in a video message.
Mr Randhawa also urged people to not violate lockdown guidelines and continue their cooperation with Delhi Police in the fight against COVID-19.
Ramzan, the holy Islamic month of fasting and prayers, is being observed from today at some places while it will begin tomorrow for others. The start of Ramzan is decided as per moon sighting.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on March 24 announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. Later, the lockdown was extended till May 3
Coronavirus: Paraplegics make masks for police, healthcare workers in Mohali to fight COVID-19
In order to help frontline warriors battling COVID-19 pandemic, inmates of the Paraplegic Rehabilitation Center (PRC) in Mohali are making masks and distributing it to police personnel, healthcare and sanitation workers for free.
Speaking to ANI Gurkirat Singh, Director, PRC said that retired paraplegic soldiers and their wives are producing around 500 masks per day.
"We stitch 500 masks per day and are giving them for free to police personnel, healthcare and sanitation workers battling coronavirus," he said.
The PRC in Mohali was set up in 1978 with an aim to ensure best aftercare and rehabilitation of personnel of the Army, Navy and Air Force, who are medically boarded out, i.e. retired from service, due to spinal cord injury while serving the nation.
Cooperate with Anganwadi workers, do not visit mosques during Ramzan amid lockdown: Asaduddin Owaisi
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday appealed to people to cooperate with Anganwadi workers doing door-to-door screening, and requested them not to visit any mosque during Ramzan amid the coronavirus lockdown.
Mr Owaisi said, "We should all cooperate with our lifesavers who are doctors, nurses, police and ASHA workers. We should follow social distancing and cooperate with the employees who are coming for screening in GHMC areas, as most of the cases are from that place. Now that the Ramadan season is going to start, I request you all not to pray in mosques. Nobody should come out after 7 pm as it is curfew time."
"We are doing this to protect, support and encourage the ASHA workers and Anganwadi employees who are going to each house for screening. I request everyone to cooperate with the Anganwadi employees who come to your home for screening, respect them and welcome them in a proper way. We can kick out the coronavirus when we cooperate with the Government," he said.
Mr Owaisi said, "In the entire Hyderabad parliament constituency, Nampally assembly segment, Borakpur, Moulali, Shakepet, Erragada municipal ward, 178 PPE kits are being disturbed by MIM party. We are also giving 2640 mini kits, altogether it is 2881."
"We all together should stop it, and we are together, we can stop the spread of this deadly disease. This is a critical situation for poor people. KCR and KTR accepted my request to give access to the Annapurna centres. There are 55 Annapurna centres put up in Hyderabad where food will be served till 6:00 pm," he added.
West Bengal needs to increase COVID-19 tests to 2500-5000 per day: IMCT
After visiting Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI) and Bangur hospital in Kolkata, the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) on Friday recommended West Bengal government to increase COVID-19 tests to 2500-5000 per day.
In a letter to West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, Apurva Chandra, Additional Secretary, Government of India and head of IMCT, said: "The State government needs to submit a report on the reason for the long waiting time of COVID test results. For some patients, the wait time is more than five days. Besides, the government needs to increase COVID-19 tests to 2500-5000 per day."
The IMCT had visited CNCI and Bangur hospital to take stock of the situation amid the coronavirus pandemic.
During the visit, the team found that no social distancing was being followed at Bangur hospital's waiting area and the COVID patients, referred from other private hospitals, are left to visit the COVID-19 dedicated hospitals on their own.
Apurva Chandra in his letter has also urged the State government to increase the number of ventilator beds at Bangur hospital as there are only 12 ventilator beds for its 354 critical coronavirus patients.
The Union Home Ministry has constituted IMCTs to visit coronavirus hotspots for assessment, issue directions to combat the spread of the lethal virus in those areas and submit a report to the Central government.
Coronavirus news: 3 deaths, 44 more new cases in Rajasthan
With 44 new cases, the total number of coronavirus cases in Rajasthan has crossed the 2,000 mark, reported news agency ANI.
According to the Rajasthan Health Department, three more deaths were reported in the state, taking the death toll to 31.
With 1,684 more COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India''s count of coronavirus cases reached to 23,077, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday.
Coronavirs news: 2 deaths, 62 more COVID-19 cases in Andhra Pradesh
Two deaths and 62 more COVID-19 cases have been reported from Andhra Pradesh in the last 24 hours, news agency ANI reported quoting officials.
Among the new cases, Anantapur has reported 4 cases, East Godavari 2, Guntur 11, Krishna 14, Kurnool 27, Nellore 1 and Prakasam 3.
According to the state's COVID-19 Nodal Officer, with this, the total number of coronavirus cases in the state has risen to 995.
The total cases in the state include 781 active cases, 145 discharged, and 29 deaths.
Coronavirus news: Uttarakhand government freezes Dearness Allowance till July 2021
The Uttarakhand government has frozen additional installments of Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) for state government employees and pensioners till July 2021, news agency ANI reported.
This notification was rolled out by the state government on Friday morning in the wake of the coronavirus speread.
Coronavirus India Lockdown news: Waiting for good kits from ICMR, says Kerala Health Minister
The Kerala government is waiting for good kits from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to conduct antibody tests, state health Minister KK Shailaja said today.
"We are waiting for good kits from ICMR. We have also ordered some test kits. Once we get the test kits, we will validate them. We will then do the antibody tests," she said while speaking to media.
According to the Health Ministry, Kerala has so far recorded 447 cases of coronavirus, out of which 324 people have been cured and 3 have died.
Coronavirus news: 66 COVID-19-related deaths in Pune
A 61-year-old and a 40-year-old, who had tested positive for COVID-19, died in Pune on Thursday night, taking the total number of deaths in the district to 66, news agency ANI reported quoting state Health Department.
The total count of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra has risen to 6,427 and the number of deaths due to the infection has risen to 283.
"Struggling for ration": National Kho Kho captain seeks help from Arvind Kejriwal
Indian national kho-kho team skipper Nasreen is facing a financial crisis, struggling even for ration due to the lockdown, and has sought help from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, reports news agency ANI.
Her father Mohammad Gafoor, who used to sell steel utensils on the streets before the lockdown, is now jobless.
"My father used to sell utensils but due to lockdown, he is not able to go out which resulted in a financial crisis for the family. He is the sole earner in the family. Everything is closed during this lockdown. We are having troubles in getting the ration. The general secretary of the Kho Kho Federation of India Tyagi Sir helped us but our problems are not getting any easier," Nasreen, who led the gold-winning side in the South Asian Games, was quoted as saying by ANI.
Slum In Bengaluru Sealed After 10 People Test Positive For COVID-19A municipal ward in Bengaluru has been partially sealed after 10 positive cases of COVID-19 surfaced over the last two days. The area -- Hongasandra in southeastern part of the city -- is home to more than 1,000 people. Many of them are labourers engaged in the city's metro rail project, who live in slums."
Villages have handled Coronavirus crisis better than cities: PM Modi
"Today, when we are in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, what we see in this crisis is that from the ideas and things being done in the villages of India are something that we don't even see in the urban India, where people have better education.
Villages have shown that our traditions, our culture, our learnings are from the ground up, not the other way around. Villages have handled the crisis better than cities. Villages are handling social distancing far better and with more discipline with initiatives like '2 gaj ki doori', etc.
Villages have dealt better with self-dependency. There is much to learn from you all."
"There was a time when less than 100 gram panchayats were connected to broadband. Today, over 1.25 lakh gram panchayats have broadband": PM Modi.
"Coronavirus has made it clear that we have to depend only on ourselves for our survival"
- My best wishes to all those who have won panchayati raj awards.
- It is technology that binds us and makes such a meeting possible today.
- Coronavirus pandemic has made a big impact in the way we live and the way we work.
- Coronavirus has also given us a lot to think about and taught us a lot about the way we act.
- It has given us direction to the way we move forward and the way we love.
- It has made it absolutely clear that we have to depend only on ourselves for our survival.
- We have learnt from this crisis that we as a nation, from cities to villages, must be self-sufficient and not depend on others for anything we need in our daily lives.
PM Modi interacts with village heads across India via video link
Coronavirus news: Okhla vegetable market witnesses low turnout of customers due to lockdown
The Okhla vegetable market in Delhi witnessed a lesser number of customers on Friday morning even as people prepare to observe the holy month of Ramzan, which is likely to begin from April 25, news agency ANI reported.
Akram, a vegetable seller at the market, blamed the lockdown for decline in business.
"The business has been affected adversely, vegetables are rotting. Customers are afraid of stepping out of their houses, they are reluctant to even come and if they do step out, the administration asks them to go back," said Akram.
Coronavirus news: PM Modi to interact with Sarpanchs at 11 am today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with Sarpanchs from across the nation on the occasion of Panchayati Raj Day, being observed amid the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown.
"At 11 AM today, PM Narendra Modi would be interacting with Sarpanchs from across the nation via video conferencing. All Sarpanchs will be able to join this interaction through Doordarshan, from their respective homes adhering to social distancing norms," the official twitter handle of PMO said.
Coronavirus news: IIT-Delhi's COVID-19 test approved, can reduce cost significantly
IIT Delhi is the first academic institute to have obtained the ICMR approval for a real-time PCR-based diagnostic assay, news agency PTI reported. The development also comes against the backdrop of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) halting the testing for COVID-19 cases through China-made test kits because of massive variation in test results, compounding the challenge to check and contain the pandemic.
The current testing methods available are "probe-based" while the one developed by the IIT team is a "probe-free" method, which reduces the testing cost without compromising on accuracy, officials said.
JUST IN: Coronavirus cases in India cross 23,000-mark; 718 deaths, 37 in 24 hours
Coronavirus news: 3 Maharashtra Reserve Police officials test positive
Three State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) officials of Maharashtra have tested positive for COVID-19, while 96 other SRPF personnel have been put under quarantine, news agency ANI reported quoting an official.
The team of SRPF Group-2 was posted in Mumbai for about two months and they returned to Pune on Monday. After returning, some of them had developed symptoms.
Those having symptoms were tested and out of them, three have tested positive.
The positive SRPF personnel have been shifted to hospital.
Coronavirus cases: Tripura COVID-19 Free, says Chief Minister After Second Patient Tests Negative
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Thursday said the state has become coronavirus-free after its second COVID-19 patient tested negative.
"UPDATE! The Second corona patient of Tripura has been found NEGATIVE after consecutive tests. Hence our State has become Corona free. I request everyone to maintain Social distancing and follow Government guidelines. Stay Home Stay Safe," the chief minister tweeted.
Coronavirus Update: India Attends Pak-Hosted SAARC Conference On COVID-19 SituationIndia on Thursday participated in a SAARC video conference hosted by Pakistan to promote greater regional cooperation to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
The foreign ministry said India was represented at the conference by Director General of Health Services who was assisted by experts from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
"The virtual meeting was an occasion for India to reaffirm its strong commitment towards greater sharing of knowledge, expertise and best practices in the joint fight against COVID-19 for the larger regional good," the MEA said.
Coronavirus Updates: Latest Figures
The death count due to the Coronavirus pandemic rose to 686 and the number of cases climbed to 21,700 in the country on Thursday, as per data released by the health ministry.
In its daily briefing on Thursday evening, the ministry said that the 34 more deaths and 1,229 fresh cases were reported since Wednesday evening.
The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 16,689 as 4,324 people were cured and discharged, and one patient migrated, the ministry said.