COVID-19 Cases India Updates: Over 12,000 people have been infected with the virus.
The government should go for COVID-19 testing "aggressively and strategically", Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said today, as the total number of coronavirus-related deaths crossed 400. "In no way does a lockdown defeat the virus. It helps only to stop the virus for a short while. The only way to do this is to increase testing and chasing the virus and going beyond and this is my advice to the government -- use testing," the Congress MP said, addressing the media through a video app.
The COVID-19 pandemic has killed 414 in India, with 37 deaths reported in the last 24 Hours, government data shows. The number of people infected by the novel coronavirus in India has risen to 12,380 today. A list of 170 hotspot districts was released on Wednesday by the centre, which includes all six metros and most large cities. The list marked 123 districts as "large outbreaks" -- which includes all nine districts of national capital Delhi. Mumbai, Kolkata, nine districts of Bengaluru Urban, Hyderabad, Chennai, Jaipur and Agra were among the areas marked hotspots also on the list.
On Wednesday, India was praised by the International Monetary Fund Wednesday for its proactive decision of nationwide lockdown in its fight against coronavirus. A day earlier, the IMF in its World Economic Outlook had forecast India's growth rate to be 1.9 per cent in 2020.
On March 25, India entered a three-week lockdown, which was slated to end on April 14. The lockdown was extended till May 3.
Here are the Highlights on Coronavirus Pandemic:
Coronavirus update: IMF approves $1.4 billion in coronavirus aid to Pakistan
The IMF on Thursday approved nearly $1.4 billion in emergency aid to Pakistan to help it weather the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, AFP reported.
"While uncertainty remains high, the near-term economic impact of COVID-19 is expected to be significant, giving rise to large fiscal and external financing needs," the international lender said in a statement.
Coronavirus news: 67 Indian firms get approval for antibody rapid testing kits As many as 67 Indian firms have got approval from the Central Drug Standard Controller Organisation (CDSCO) for antibody rapid testing kits for testing COVID-19, ANI reported.
Coronavirus claims another 753 lives in France in 24 hours: official
The coronavirus outbreak has claimed another 753 lives in the last 24 hours in France, bringing the country's total fatalities to 17,920, top French health official Jerome Salomon said Thursday.
But the number of virus patients hospitalised dropped by 474 and the number in critical care declined by 209, the health ministry's number two official said.
The global coronavirus death toll has passed 1,40,000, with nearly two thirds of all fatalities in Europe, according to an AFP tally.
PM Modi assures Thimphu of India's support in fighting COVID-19 pandemic
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering on Thursday held talks over COVID-19 situation and Indian leader assured country's support to Thimphu in fighting the global pandemic, ANI reported.
COVID-19 update: 20 areas in Palghar district declared coronavirus hotspots
As many as 20 localities in Palghar district of Maharashtra were on Thursday declared as coronavirus hotspots and sealed to stem the spread of the viral disease, PTI reported.
COVID-19 update: India will provide all possible help to Mauritius, Seychelles, says PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India and Mauritius will always stand by each other, especially in challenging times like the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The prime minister also said New Delhi will provide all possible support to Seychelles for fighting COVID-19, PTI reported.
Coronavirus update: Mamata Banerjee urges opposition parties not to indulge in politics over food grain distribution
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged opposition parties to refrain from indulging in politics over food grain distribution and said steps have been taken to ensure everybody gets their due from state-run ration shops.
Barring 10 per cent of the population, almost everyone has received ration, she said, adding that the state would soon have a new food supplies secretary, PTI reported.
Hydroxychloroquine not for everyone, says government panel member
Eminent physician and one of the members of the state-appointed Global Advisory Board to fight COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Sukumar Mukherjee, on Thursday said.
Hydroxychloroquine can be taken in prescribed doses by frontline health workers in COVID-19 battle it should not be used by everyone, PTI reported.
COVID-19 cases in Delhi mount to 1,640
The total number of novel coronavirus cases in the national capital on Thursday climbed to 1,640, with 62 fresh cases and six deaths being reported in a day, according to Delhi government authorities, PTI reported.
Coronavirus update: 62 pregnant women kept under quarantine after sonographer tests positive for COVID-19
Sixty-two pregnant women have been put under institutional quarantine in Pune's Shikrapur village after a sonographer they had come in contact with treated by tested positive for COVID-19, said District Council CEO Ayush Prasad.
Samples of all women have been taken and they have been sent for testing, news agency PTI reported.
Coronavirus Update: 50 Fresh COVID-19 Cases In TelanganaAs many as 50 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Telangana on Thursday, taking the number of active cases in the state cumulatively to 496.
No death occurred on Thursday and the number of people who died due to the virus remained at 18, a state government bulletin said.
According to the bulletin, 68 people were cured/discharged from hospitals on Thursday after recovery.
With this, the number of people discharged rose to 186.
PTI
Coronavirus Update From Gujarat: 163 New Coronavirus Cases, Count 929The number of coronavirus cases in Gujarat stood at 929 on Thursday after 163 new patients were detected, a senior official said.
Three COVID-19 patients died in the state since Wednesday night, taking the death count to 36, said Principal Secretary, Health, Jayanti Ravi.
Till now, 73 patients have recovered and discharged from hospitals in the state. It includes nine patients who walked out of hositals on Thursday.
Of 163 new cases reported since Wednesday night, 95 were detected in Ahmedabad and 37 in Surat, Mr Ravi said.
PTI Input
Rate Of Doubling Of Cases Slowing Down: Maharashtra Health Minister
Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said on Thursday that the rate of doubling of coronavirus cases in the state has fallen, while complaining that the state has not recieved enough N-95 masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits.
In a video message, he also said all the 1,400 persons who arrived in the state after attending Tablighi Jamaat meet in Delhi have been traced, and only 50 of them have tested positive for Coronavirus.
Covid 19 Update From Indore: Currency Notes Found On Roads In Madhya Pradesh Amid Lockdown, No TakersCurrency notes found lying unclaimed on road triggered panic among the locals in Madhya Pradesh's Indore - a Covid-19 hotspot with more than 500 cases.
The incident happened on Thursday afternoon when the local residents spotted currency notes in the denomination of 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 rupees lying unclaimed on the road.
The patrolling teams of the Indore police received a call from the people and picked up the currency with precautionary measures. The currency was later sanitised.
Update: University Contributes Rs 10 Crore To Chief Minister's Relief FundMaharashtra-based Yashwantrao Chavan Open University contributed Rs 10 crores to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund on Thursday.
According to the Union Health Ministry, Maharashtra has reported the maximum number of positive COVID-19 cases (2,916) in the country.
The university had earlier put an advisory on its website asking everyone to download the Government of India's Aarogya Setu mobile application which disseminates relevant medical advisories concerning COVID-19
ANI
Coronavirus Update: Madhya Pradesh COVID-19 Tally Reaches 1,115
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state increased to 1,115 on Thursday. According to the health department, with 701 cases, Indore has reported the highest number of cases, followed by Bhopal with 196 confirmed cases.
Coronavirus cases spiked in Madhya Pradesh as the testing of suspected patients started late in the state, according to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
PTI Input
Coronavirus Update: Airlines Told To Refund Tickets Booked During Lockdown If AskedAirlines will have to refund tickets booked during the COVID-19 lockdown within three weeks without cancellation fees if a customer requests for it, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Thursday.
The directive will apply to all domestic and international tickets booked during the first phase of the nationwide lockdown, that began on March 25 and was extended till May 3 on April 14, for travel between the entire period.
Several consumer groups had raised complaints after most private airlines refused to refund the tickets, offering them options to reschedule instead.
NTPC utilising all its 45 hospitals, CSR funds for treating COVID-19 patientsThe National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), a government of India Undertaking, on Thursday said that it is playing its part in the nation's fight against coronavirus by ensuring uninterrupted power supply as well as utilising its infrastructure and CSR funds for relief measures.
"The NTPC has already utilised its 45 hospitals/healthcare units to make isolation facilities and procured the requisite equipment for the medical staff to handle such cases effectively," a release said.
About 168 isolation beds with oxygen supply have been created across all hospitals/healthcare units and an additional 122 beds can be made available on a need basis.
ANI
Coronavirus Update: Home Delivery Services Stopped In LudhianaAll home delivery services of food establishments have been stopped in Ludhiana from Thursday until further orders, in a move to curb the rapid spread of COVID-19.
In an official notice, District Magistrate of Ludhiana, Pradeep Agarwal, said: "The permissions regarding food preparation establishments given earlier only for home delivery, were on an experimental basis and for a limited duration of time.
PTI
Covid-19 Update: "Zoom Not Safe," Government Warns People On Video Conference Service
The Zoom meeting app is not a safe platform for video conference, the government today said, issuing a set of guidelines for the safety of private users who "still would like to use Zoom for private purpose". Zoom bombing has apparently become a favourite past time of people during the lockdown.
"Zoom is not a safe platform even for usage of individuals a detailed advisory has already been issued by CERT-India," the home ministry said in a new advisory.
The guidelines, the government said, will prevent unauthorised entry in the conference room and even malicious activity by authorised participants on terminals of the other participants. It would also avoid DOS attack by restricting users through passwords and access grant.
Coronavirus Lockdown News Update: Migrant Workers Protest For Better Food In Surat
Around 100 migrant workers gathered in an industrial area of Surat city in Gujarat on Thursday afternoon and protested over the issue of food being served to them during the lockdown, officials said.
The migrant workers and their family members, mostly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, sat on a street in Pandesara area, complaining about food being served to them, a local police officer said.
PTI
IMF urges countries to spend all they can during coronavirus pandemic
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has outlined the difficult economic environment countries are facing because of the COVID-19 epidemic and her global plan of action to take it on.
"It is a crisis like no other in scope. We are now in the worst recession since the Great Depression," she said at a virtual press conference to open the 2020 Spring Meetings on Wednesday (local time).
"We are experiencing a 3 per cent contraction of global GDP. And 170 countries are going to see income per capita falling versus what we expected three months ago for a 160 for them to go up."
Coronavirus Uodate: 941 Fresh COVID-19 Cases, 37 Deaths Reported In Last 24 Hours
As many as 941 new coronavirus case and 37 deaths were reported across the country in last 24 hours, health ministry said in a press conference on Thursday. A total 12,380 cases have been reported in India so far, including 414 deaths.
Covid-19 Update: Indore Police To Deliver Copies Of Complaints At Home Of Curfew ViolatorsIndore police in Madhya Pradesh are planning ''home delivery'' of copies of complaint to those violating curfew in the city, an official said on Thursday. It has been found that many people in the city stay at home during police patrolling, but later venture out and roam around without any valid reason, thus violating the curfew imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus, he said.
PTI
IMF urges countries to spend all they can during coronavirus pandemicIMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has outlined the difficult economic environment countries are facing because of the COVID-19 epidemic and her global plan of action.
"It is a crisis like no other in scope. We are now in the worst recession since the Great Depression," she said at a virtual press conference to open the 2020 Spring Meetings on Wednesday (local time).
"We are experiencing a 3 per cent contraction of global GDP. And 170 countries are going to see income per capita falling versus what we expected three months ago for a 160 for them to go up," she added.
ANI Input
COVID-19 Suspect In Punjab Escapes From Hospital, CaughtA COVID-19 suspect who had fled from the isolation ward of a hospital in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district was caught by police on Thursday.
Yusuf Khan's samples had been sent for testing and he was under quarantine when he fled from the hospital on Wednesday night, creating scare among the people in the district and surrounding areas.
Acting swiftly, the Punjab Police arrested the 40-year-old man from Chabbewal town in Hoshiarpur the next day.
PTI Input
Covid-19 Update: Minister Asks State Waqf Boards To Ensure Lockdown Guidelines Are Followed
Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Thursday directed state waqf boards to ensure strict implementation of lockdown and social distancing guidelines during the holy month of Ramzan, starting next week amid the coronavirus pandemic.
At a meeting via video conferencing, Mr Naqvi asked the state waqf boards' officials to create awareness among people to offer prayers and perform other religious rituals like "iftar (breaking of fast)" during Ramzan, which begins on April 24 or 25, staying inside their homes.
PTI
Coronavirus News Update From Madhya Pradesh: Cash Reward For Information On Hotspot Returnees In Bhind
With an aim to curb the spread of coronavirus, the police in Bhind distict of Madhya Pradesh have announced a cash reward for those who provide information about the people coming from COVID-19 hotspots, but not revealing their details to the authorities.
"I am announcing Rs 500 cash award to those who inform about the people who have come in Bhind district after 10 from hotspot cities like Indore, Bhopal and Ujjain and are hiding," a senior police official said in a video message.
PTI
- Are you happy with the package announced by the government?
- The speed with which money has to reach the people is not happening. That needs to be tackled on priority.
- A food supply shortage will happen... it is bound to happen... we must utilise our food storage in godowns have to be used effectively and efficiently.
- The umemplyment has started rising and will rise more rapidly with time. The got must think fast about what to do with small industries and MSMEs.
- This was on the economic side, now on the medical side.
- Our efforts and responses are not as quick and fast as it should be and it is worrying me. It is now a national and a security issue.
Lockdown only gives more time for us to prepare against coronavirus: Rahul Gandhi- Have spoken to large number of experts, both on India and abroad.
- First thing to understand is that a lockdown is only a pause button, it is in no way a solution to battle COVID-19. But it is important to have a strategy to come out of the lockdown.
- A lockdown only gives more time for us to prepare and get our preparation sorted. In no way does a lockdown defeat the virus.
- Our current testing is 199 per million and 350 per district.... so this is in no way to go about it.
- We must test far more dramatically and start random testing.
- We are currently chasing the virus.
JUST IN: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman meets PM Modi amid extended coronavirus lockdown and concerns over the economy
Coronavirus India live updates: Nine new cases reported in Andhra Pradesh, tally rises to 534
Nine new coronavirus positive cases were added overnight, taking the total in Andhra Pradesh to 534 on Thursday morning, news agency PTI reported.
The number of active cases now stood at exactly 500 after 20 patients were discharged and another 14 have died, according to the latest government bulletin.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases in India Live Updates: Two more test positive in Bihar, number rises to 72
Two more persons have tested positive in Bihar, raising the total number of cases in the state to 72, news agency PTI reported quoting an official.
The fresh cases were reported from Patna and Vaishali districts, the report said.
Coronavirus India live updates: One more death in Karnataka, toll rises to 13
A 66-year old man died in Bengaluru on April 15 at Victoria Hospital, news agency PTI reported quoting officials. Thirteen people have died in Karnataka due to COVID-19 illness, Health Department officials said.
"He was referred from a private hospital and was admitted in Victoria Hospital and was on ventilator support since April 10," they added.
A 80-year old woman in Belagavi and a 65-year old man from Chikkaballapura had also died on Wednesday.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases in India Live Updates: 25 fresh cases in Rajasthan
Rajasthan on Thursday reported 25 fresh cases of coronavirus, taking the state''s virus tally to 1,101, officials said.
Of the new cases, 11 are from Tonk, 10 from Jodhpur, 2 from Jhunjhunu and one each from Bikaner and Ajmer.
Coronavirus news: 22 people have died in 24 hours, says Health Ministry
Twenty-two deaths were reported since Wednesday evening, Union Health Ministry said in its updated data.
Nine deaths were reported from Maharashtra, five from Andhra Pradesh, three from Gujarat, two each from Delhi and Tamil Nadu and one from Karnataka, it added.
Of the total 414 deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 187 fatalities, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 53, Gujarat at 33, Delhi at 32 and Telengana at 18.
Coronavirus cases cross 12,000-mark, 414 deaths
At least 414 people in India have lost their lives to the COVID-19 pandemic, with 37 deaths reported in the last 24 Hours, government data shows. The number of people infected by the novel coronavirus in India has risen to 12,380 today.
Coronavirus news: 42 new cases reported in Indore: Report
42 new cases have been reported in Indore, news agency PTI reported quoting officials. At least 980 have been infected with the highly infectious novel coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh so far.
Coronavirus news: 20 lakh jobs are at risk in India's aviation space
More than 20 lakh jobs are at risk in India's aviation space and dependent sectors in the wake of the pandemic, according to global airlines' grouping International Air Transport Association.
Commercial flight services have been suspended till May 3 as the government has extended the nationwide lockdown in continuing efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus infection, which has already affected more than 11,000 people in the country.
Coronavirus news: IMF backs India's "proactive" COVID-19 response
India was praised by the International Monetary Fund Wednesday for its proactive decision of nationwide lockdown in its fight against coronavirus. A day earlier, the IMF in its World Economic Outlook had forecast India's growth rate to be 1.9 per cent in 2020.
A list of 170 hotspot districts have been identified by the Centre, which includes all six metros and most large cities. The list marked 123 districts as "large outbreaks" -- which includes all nine districts of national capital Delhi. Mumbai, Kolkata, 9 districts of Bengaluru Urban, Hyderabad, Chennai, Jaipur and Agra were among the areas marked hotspots also on the list.