In India, Maharashtra has reported the highest cases (1,097), followed by Tamil Nadu (709) and New Delhi (597). (Express photo: Jasbir Malhi)
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Tracker HIGHLIGHTS: With COVID-19 cases showing no signs of abating in India, the Supreme Court Wednesday said tests relating to novel coronavirus whether in approved government laboratories or approved private laboratories “shall be free of cost”.
Meanwhile, as India enters what the authorities call the “make-or-break week,” the number of confirmed coronavirus cases have crossed the 5,000-mark to stand at 5,274. The number of casualties, currently at 149, also registered a jump of 32 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told floor leaders of opposition and other parties in Parliament that the nationwide lockdown will not be lifted in one go after it ends on April 14. He will also do a video conference with all Chief Ministers on April 11. In Uttar Pradesh, in a bid to prevent the further spread of coronavirus through “community transmission”, the state government has decided to seal areas in 15 districts including Noida and Ghaziabad.
Coronavirus live updates: A police officer distributes masks to children of migrant daily wage laborers during lockdown in Jammu, Saturday, March 28, 2020. (AP Photo: Channi Anand)
Around 200 people from a JJ cluster in Noida’s Sector 8 were taken to a quarantine facility late on Tuesday evening. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)
Health officials attend to people arriving for COVID-19 tests at a hospital in Kanpur on Tuesday. (PTI photo)
A 61-year-old woman breathed her last at Government Medical College hospital here on Wednesday night, recording the first COVID related death in UT’s Jammu division. “61 yrs old female patient from Udhampur passed away at GMC Jammu; tested positive for Corona; reported to be suffering from Arthritis and bedridden. Contacts being traced,” tweeted UT Government‘s spokesperson Rohit Kansal.
With this, the number of people dying of coronavirus has risen to four. Earlier, three patients have died of the disease in Kashmir Valley.
Earlier during the day, UT had reported the biggest ever spike of 33 positive cases in a single day raising the total number of Coronavirus cases to 158 on Wednesday. While 30 positive cases were reported in Kashmir and three in Jammu, official sources said. With the death of one more patient, there were at present 147 active positive cases as six people had recovered.
Till date, there were 40,336 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases put under surveillance.
US President Donald Trump Wednesday thanked India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving a green signal to the supply of anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to the US. Taking to Twitter, President Trump said, Extraordinary times require even closer cooperation between friends. Thank you India and the Indian people for the decision on HCQ. Will not be forgotten! Thank you Prime Minister @NarendraModi for your strong leadership in helping not just India, but humanity, in this fight!"
Earlier in the day, Trump had praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying “the US bought more than 29 million of hydroxychloroquine from India and the country put a stop because it was needed there”. On Tuesday, Trump warned India of retaliation if the country doesn’t supply the drug to America. Hours after this, India said that it will supply essential drugs to “some nations who have been particularly badly affected” by COVID-19 and to “neighbouring countries who are dependent on India’s capabilities”.
Ninth coronavirus death in Punjab. A 55-year-old patient from Ropar (Rupnagar) dies. Total deaths now 9.
The Delhi government on Wednesday announced sealing of 20 coronavirus hotspots comprising small pockets of settlements and apartment complexes, and made it compulsory for people to wear face masks when stepping outdoors to contain the spread of the novel virus.
As the national capital reported 93 new cases taking the total number of infections to 669, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held an emergency meeting with senior ministers and top officials of the Delhi government Wednesday evening and took a series of decisions to check the spread of the virus.
After the meeting via video conferencing, Kejriwal tweeted, “Wearing of facial masks can reduce the spread of coronavirus substantially. Therefore, it has been decided that facial masks will be compulsory for anyone stepping out of their house. Cloth mask shall be eligible too.”
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who attended the meeting, said strict action would be taken against those not wearing masks while stepping out of their houses. (PTI)
Vadodara administration declares Tandalja area as a 'Covid-19 red zone' after Nagarwada. Over 1,900 homes with a population of 7,000 will be in containment beginning with immediate effect, officials said.
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. Click here to read how the world's top 5 polluted cities fare in air quality index.
Manipur Education Minister Dr. Thokchom Radheshyam on Wednesday said that online classes for postgraduate students have begun in the state amid the nation-wide lockdown. He informed that initially the online classes had already started at Dhanamanjuri University and 6th Semester of Manipur Technical University through ZOOM App MOODLE (Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment). "The state Government is taking up measures to address the concerns arising due to shutdown of the educational institutions in the state because of the lockdown imposed to break the chain of infection and control the spread of coronavirus disease COVID-19," the minister said and added that teachers have been assigned to prepare study material which will be provided to the students through online classes, e-mail and WhatsApp.
Several small pockets of settlements — lanes, apartment complexes — in many parts of Delhi, including parts of Sangam Vihar, Hauz Rani and Khichripur, have been notified as containment zones, wherein tougher restrictions, including on essential services, will be implemented. By Thursday, more areas are likely to be sealed, which include Central Delhi’s Sadar Bazar and pockets of West Delhi among others, district magistrates told The Indian Express. Read to know the list of containment zones in Delhi
Eight out of 17 ‘high-risk’ patients who were quarantined on Tuesday after coming in touch with a woman identified as Tripura’s first COVID-19 positive patient, were tested ‘negative’ today. Test reports for the rest came inconclusive and would be re-tested, Minister Ratan Lal Nath, who acts as cabinet spokesperson said. Nath added that out of 234 persons tested in Tripura with preliminary symptoms or recent travel history to affected areas, only one was found positive. The woman who tested positive was shifted to an isolation unit at state-run Govind Ballabh Pant (GBP) Hospital here on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a group of nurses Wednesday held a protest in front of Gobinda Ballabh Pant (GBP) Hospital alleging that they were not provided with sufficient protective gears to work on the line of duty.
PM Modi said lockdown won’t be lifted in ‘one go’, says BJD leader. The US records 1,736 deaths on April 7 -- the highest single-day toll anywhere in the world. Watch our video with all coronavirus from April 8.
After 76 days under lockdown, Wuhan city at midnight on Wednesday emerged out of what some people termed “a prison” being pushed into a complete shutdown on January 23. The lockdown was lifted in phases across the province. First, residents of Hubei from places other than Wuhan were allowed to leave, provided their health-code app showed a green code certifying they were virus-free. This was followed by the announcement that Wuhan would be unlocked on April 8. Click here to read more.
The number of COVID-19 cases surged to 5274 in India, including 149 deaths, the Union Health Ministry said in its latest briefing. While there are 4714 active cases, as many as 410 persons have recovered. Here's what all happened today:
-According to the Union Health Ministry, a total of 773 cases and 32 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.
-PM Modi says lockdown will not be lifted in one go, will consult CMs
-Hotspots in 15 UP districts, including Noida, to be sealed
-All COVID-19 tests to be free of cost, SC orders
-Mumbai makes wearing of masks mandatory in public places, violators face arrest
-No hydroxychloroquine shortage in India now or in future, Health Ministry says
- 60 new Covid-19 cases reported in Maharashtra
- Curfew to continue in Himachal’s Una as more 9 test positive for Covid-19
- Indigo says that its international operations are suspended until April 30
The official list of hotspots in Noida to be sealed as per orders of the Uttar Pradesh government.
The Supreme Court Wednesday said that all Covid-19 tests whether in government labs or private will be free of cost. “Tests relating to COVID-19 whether in approved Government Laboratories or approved private Laboratories shall be free of cost,” the court said in a ruling. The apex court also said that “the question as to whether the private Laboratories carrying free of cost COVID-19 tests are entitled for any reimbursement of expenses incurred shall be considered later on”.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge have designed a new mobile phone app that will be used to collect data to develop machine learning algorithms, which will be able to detect if the person has COVID-19 or not based on the sound of their voice, their breathing and coughing. But how can a person’s sound help in detecting Covid-19? Read our explainer to know more.
Ludhiana Police have trained 20 cops to ensure protocol is followed while dealing with Covid-19 patients to reduce the spread of infection. They are being called as "Coronavirus Commandos". More details:
Some top developments:
-Boris Johnson's condition 'stable'; spends second night in intensive care
-Donald Trump threatens to freeze WHO funding, accuses it of being 'China-centric'
-Iran urges IMF to approve $5 billion loan
-Spain daily virus deaths 757, second successive rise
-South Korea imposes new travel restrictions, announces $29.5 billion in business aid
-Head of EU's top science body quits over coronavirus response
After Chandigarh, wearing masks or covering the face with a cloth while moving out has been made mandatory in Mumbai, which accounts for nearly 73 per cent of the total cases in Maharashtra. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has also said that people violating the order would face arrest under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Even as the global coronavirus infections crossed 1.4 million on Wednesday, with the death toll at 82,119, the number of new cases each day appears to be falling in some nations. As many as 6 out of 10 worst coronavirus-hit nations have reported a drop in the daily number of fresh Covid-19 cases. Click here to check our tracker.
Essar Foundation to provide 1.25 million meals and 1 lakh medical supplies relief
In light of the coronavirus outbreak, the Essar Foundation has said that it will provide 1.25 million (12.5 lakh) meals to communities affected by the outbreak and nearly 1,00,000 medical supplies to frontliners combating Covid-19.
“Our efforts have been focussed on reaching out to the most vulnerable communities. Being part of the Government of Maharashtra Corona Control CSR Group, we are able to coordinate directly with the state machinery and work jointly with leading groups. We also have tie-ups with several companies and non-profits to consolidate structured relief efforts by identifying communities and responsibly directing funds,” said Mr Kaustubh Sonalkar, Group President Human Resource, Essar, and CEO – Essar Foundation.
With air travel suspended across the world, Bengaluru airport is now home to several aircraft.
Even as the global coronavirus infections crossed 1.4 million on Wednesday, with the death toll at 82,119, the number of new cases each day appears to be falling in some nations. According to Johns Hopkins University tracker, six out of 10 worst coronavirus-hit nations have reported a drop in the daily number of fresh Covid-19 cases.
These include Italy, Spain, the United States, Iran, Netherlands and Germany. Interestingly, Italy and Spain, which were COVID-19 hotspots a couple of weeks ago, appear to be succeeding at “flattening the curve”.
Here are some of the top developments of the day:
* Coronavirus cases in India cross 5,000 after country enters last week of lockdown
* PM Modi said lockdown won’t be lifted in ‘one go’, says BJD leader
* Government to scale up testing during "make-or-break" week'
* Supreme Court suggests conducting free tests, in private laboratories as well
* US President Donald Trump says PM Modi is 'great' after Hydroxychloroquine row
As India enters what the authorities call the “make-or-break” week, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases has crossed the 5,000-mark to stand at 5,149. The number of casualties, currently at 149, also registered a jump of 32 deaths in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, ICMR official says a total of 1,21,271 tests for COVID-19 have been done so far in the country.
Minutes after Uttar Pradesh government decided to seal areas in 15 districts which have emerged as hotspots, Ghaziabad SSP Kalanidhi Naithani clarified saying there is no curfew imposed and that people should not fall for rumours making rounds.
"There is no curfew that has been imposed in the district. Kindly do not fall for rumours. The administration and police will issue further details," SSP Ghaziabad said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a key meeting with all Chief Ministers on April 11, news agency ANI reported.
In a bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus through “community transmission”, the Uttar Pradesh government Wednesday decided to “completely seal” areas in 15 districts which have emerged as hotspots.
“15 districts which have a viral load of COVID-19 to be sealed. All districts with six or more COVID-19 cases will be sealed,” Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary R K Tiwari was quoted as saying by ANI.
The 15 districts include Lucknow, Noida, Ghaziabad, Sitapur, Kanpur, Agra, Ferozabad, Bareilly, Meerut, Shamli, Saharanpur, Bulandshahr, Varanasi, Maharajganj and Basti which have reported the highest number of cases. More details here.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday observed that Covid-19 tests should be conducted for free at private labs, and that it would soon pass an appropriate order in this regard. A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and S Ravindra Bhat also directed the central government to ensure that private labs do not charge exorbitant fees from the public for Covid-19 test. It suggested the Centre to create an “effective mechanism for reimbursement from government for tests.”
BJD MP Pinaki Misra told news agency PTI that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear that lockdown will not be lifted in one go on April 14. PM Modi also said that "pre-corona and post-corona life won't be same".
In Uttar Pradesh, coronavirus hotspots within as many as 15 districts- including Noida, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Lucknow, Agra, Shamli and Saharanpur, will be sealed. Only home delivery and medical teams will be allowed. According to administration, this is being "to prevent community spread"
Hydroxychloroquine is under global spotlight. It is an antimalarial drug option, considered less toxic than chloroquine, and prescribed in certain cases. Doctors also prescribe hydroxychloroquine for patients of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
In a study last month in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents (IJAA), French scientists reported: “Twenty cases were treated… and showed a significant reduction of the viral carriage… compared to controls, and much lower average carrying duration than reported of untreated patients in the literature. Azithromycin (an antibiotic) added to hydroxychloroquine was significantly more efficient for virus elimination.” Click here to read more.
A police constable trying to enforce the coronavirus lockdown measures in Chandan Nagar locality of Indore was pelted with stones before he returned with reinforcement. The incident took place around 6 pm on Tuesday when the constable stopped a vehicle carrying more than five persons who wanted to buy vegetables by defying restrictions.
A middle-aged panda couple in Hong Kong made global headlines after they mated naturally for the first time in years. A major factor in this development is suspected to be the new-found privacy they are enjoying due to lockdowns to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Giant panda Ying Ying has been sharing her enclosure with male Le Le at the Ocean Park zoo in Hong Kong since 2007. The two 14-year-olds haven’t mated naturally for a while and conservationists have attempted to artificially inseminate the female in the past. However, the breeding programs never worked and led to miscarriages, reported The Guardian.
As a fallout of the “worst global crisis since World War II”, approximately 400 million Indians employed in the informal sector are at risk of slipping deeper into poverty, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Globally the coronavirus pandemic will likely impact 195 million full-time jobs or about 6.7 percent of working hours in the second quarter of 2020. Read more here
An assistant sub-inspector posted in the traffic unit of Delhi Police has been tested positive for coronavirus, officials said on Wednesday. He has been admitted at the Super Speciality Block of Safdarjung Hospital, they said. The 49-year-old police official was posted in Hauz Khas circle of the traffic unit. He was taken to AIIMS on April 1 for a check-up after he complained of having cough and fever, they said. Three traffic staff working with him have been informed to self-isolate for the next 14 days
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has written to states to take urgent steps to ensure availability of essential goods, and invoke provisions of the Essential Commodities (EC) Act, 1955, if needed, against hoarders. These measures include fixing of stock limits, capping of prices, enhancing production, inspection of accounts of dealers and other such actions, a notification from the MHA stated.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has interacted with floor leaders of various parties on the coronavirus, reports news agency PTI. The leaders included leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar. He had recently spokes to leaders of opposition parties, including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, TMC's Mamata Banerjee, DMK's MK Stalin and others. He has also spoken to former presidents Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee and former PMs HD Deve Gowda and Manmohan Singh.
Health workers are not only risking their lives at the frontlines of the fight against the coronavirus, but also coming up with innovative ways to help their patients. In a new trend, doctors treating COVID-19 patients have started sticking photographs of themselves on their personal protective equipment (PPE). Why? So that their patients can see who is looking after them, and can be treated by smiling faces.
A day after Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa warned people against making divisive statements against the Muslim community, his political secretary and MLA M P Renukacharya said the Tablighi Jamaat members who attended the New Delhi event last month should be “shot dead” if they evade the Covid-19 tests. He alleged they are not visiting hospitals for checkup despite repeated appeals. Referring to those not reporting to the hospitals as “traitors”, the BJP MLA on Tuesday said: “Spreading COVID-19 is also like terrorism, and all those who are spreading the virus are traitors.”
IndiGo will extend its suspension of international operations till April 30, 2020, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
The United Residents Doctor Association of the Hindu Rao hospital gave around 220 personal protective equipment and 550 N 95 masks for medical staff posted in the hospitals across Delhi, said Dr Peeyush Goel, chief medical PRO of Anti- Corona Task force and a doctor at Hindu Rao. He said that the equipment was given to doctors at different departments. Many doctors are it directly dealing with COVID-19 cases but are vulnerable, he said, and should be able to protect themselves.
Here are pictures from Wuhan, which has relaxed restrictions after 76 days. In an exodus, millions people are expected to leave the city by tonight. For more photos, scroll to the end of the blog.
Here's the top global news at 12.30 pm:
Maharashtra continues to remain the worst affected State with 1097 confirmed cases including the 79 cured cases and 64 deaths, followed by Tamil Nadu (709 cases and 7 deaths) and Delhi (597 cases and 9 deaths). Here is a list of COVID-19 deaths and cases in India (state-wise) and across the globe (country-wise).
Members of Bohurupee, a Bengal theatre group, and some police officers wear costumes to general awareness on the coronavirus in Birbhum, West Bengal. For more pictures, scroll to the end of this blog.
A task force of experts constituted by the Kerala government has recommended district-wise, phase-by-phase relaxation of the COVID-19 lockdown measures post April 14, lasting till after middle of May, while keeping a close eye on the number of new infections in the state. The 17-member task force headed by former chief secretary K M Abraham, that submitted the report to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Monday evening, said large-scale movement of people across international and state boundaries should not be considered till the situation was “under control in every state”. Read our report here.
Since the Covid-19 outbreak reached Europe and Latin America, the Caribbean island nation of Cuba has sent doctors and medical staff to a number of countries to assist in efforts to combat the epidemic. According to data released by the Johns Hopkins coronavirus research centre, as on Wednesday, Cuba had 396 confirmed cases, 11 deaths and 27 recoveries. Why is Cuba sending its doctors abroad for help? Click here to read.
From various pop culture references to dancing and singing, the police officers across India have done it all. They are not only out on streets to ensure that people do not violate the lockdown rules, but are also upping their game on social media with quirky and humorous posts. A look at some of the quirkiest steps taken up by the cops across India
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has pledged $1 billion of his stake in Square Inc., the payments firm he co-founded, to coronavirus relief efforts. This is likely to be the largest pandemic-related donation yet. “I hope this inspires others to do something similar,” Dorsey said Tuesday in a tweet. “Life is too short, so let’s do everything we can today to help people now.”
Before the world went to war with novel coronavirus, many people would habitually squeeze in approximately 10,000 steps every day, as part of their fitness routine. It is pretty common for people who lead busy work lives that leaves them with no time to actually go to the gym to get some exercises done. But ever since the lockdown was announced, many have found themselves engulfed in sheer laziness, unable to get up and get any exercising done. But, the key is to not think of it as a task. Here's what you should do
The Kerala Police – which has been using drones to enforce the ongoing 21-day national lockdown – shared a video which shows men dispersing on seeing the aerial vehicle. The video was recorded taken at Ponnani in the Malappuram district and shows a group of men running in all directions as soon as they spot the drone. The Kerala Police tweeted the video from their official handle Monday.
Dr K Leelamoni is a former Head of Department of Community Medicine at the Government Medical College in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, and later at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kochi. She has worked in the field of community medicine for 48 years. She writes: For decades in the field of community medicine, a stream of medical studies not many are aware of, the stress has always been on the role of strengthening the health of the community with simple steps like personal hygiene and basic sanitation. Nevertheless, it needed a pandemic to open our eyes to accept basic hand and body hygiene, and cough etiquette, in our daily lives. Read more here.
Pakistan has recorded 577 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of COVID-19 patients to 4,005 on Tuesday, reported news agency PTI. Punjab registered the most cases (2,004), followed by Sindh (986), Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (500), Gilgit-Baltistan (211), Balochistan (202), Islamabad (83) and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (19), according to Ministry of National Health Services.
The number of active coronavirus cases in India has risen to 4,643, the Health Ministry confirmed. At least 149 people have died from the disease, and 401 treated and discharged.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has declared a state of Emergency in Tokyo and six other prefectures. On Wednesday, he repeated his request to the people to stay home and cooperate. “I hear many company workers are switching to working from home. Only your cooperation can allow us to get out of the state of emergency in a month,” Abe said.
In Japan, watch this innovative graduation ceremony in the times of social distancing:
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Tackling a social calamity is not like fighting a war which works best when a leader can use top-down power to order everyone to do what the leader wants — with no need for consultation. In contrast, what is needed for dealing with a social calamity is participatory governance and alert public discussion. Read his opinion column here
How does the coronavirus affect the lungs, leading to pneumonia, the eventual cause of death? Once the virus enters the body, it can cause discomfort when it reaches the air passages on the outside of the lungs. These passages conduct air into and from the lungs. The virus injures the lining of the passageways, and the body responds with an inflammation, which in turn irritates the nerves in the lining. That is when an infected person coughs. Read our explainer here.
The Indian Express visited three of five quarantine centres in the Danapur riverine area of Bihar — which has six panchayats and a combined population of 80,000, with almost at least one person from each household working outside the state – and found most of the migrants on the 14-day quarantine list missing. About 55,000 of the 27,300 migrants had returned from the COVID-19 “hotspot” states of Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka and Delhi, and these people were to be continuously monitored and screened for symptoms. The other migrants have been told to stay in “home quarantine”.
(Express photo by Santosh Singh)
A 34-year-old south Mumbai resident, who has recovered from the coronavirus disease but remains in self-isolation, said his neighbours had threatened to get his 64-year-old father arrested and thrown out of the housing society after he had tested positive for the virus last month. "But this is the reality of the day… They (the neighbours) went out of their way and threatened to put my father behind bars,” said the man, who lives with his father and domestic help, both of whom had tested negative for the coronavirus.
With the Tablighi Jamaat gathering in the Capital last month emerging as a COVID-19 hotspot, many Muslim leaders, across sects, have issued a joint appeal asking members of the community to refrain from any kind of fraternising or physical congregation on Shab-e-Bara’at which falls on April 8- 9. “An effective way to protect ourselves from this virus is to observe social distancing and people should not assemble in any place. It is part of wisdom and expediency that the same is observed during Shab-e Bara’at,” says the three-paragraph message in several languages.