Andhra Pradesh has identified 711 persons who were at the Delhi gathering. From neighbouring Telangana, at least 400 persons participated in the meeting. In Tamil Nadu, officials said 1,031 people attended the congregation, but are yet to trace 300. Karnataka has placed 78 persons, including 50 foreign nationals, in quarantine, after authorities discovered that the 60-year-old man who died in Tumkur on March 27 was also infected at the Markaz.
In Kerala, officials said about 59 persons had attended the programme in Delhi, and the process of identification was still on. Closer to Delhi, the Uttar Pradesh government said 157 persons from 19 districts attended the congregation, six of whom have tested positive for Coronavirus. While both Assam and Uttarakhand said they had records of the persons who attended the programme in Delhi, they were relieved that most or all of them continued to remain in Delhi.
Armed with a list of those at the congregation who tested positive for coronavirus, authorities are looking at passenger lists of at least three trains that set off from Hazrat Nizamuddin station in Delhi between March 14 and 19 — the Duronto Express to Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, the Grand Trunk Express to Chennai, and the Tamil Nadu Express to Chennai.
Even as a Tablighi Jamaat congregation in the Capital has emerged as a common link between many COVID-19 positive cases, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Tuesday that the “probability” of infection in India was still “very low” as compared to the US, now the global hotspot of the outbreak. In India, officials have said the rate of increase in cases slowed down after the nationwide lockdown began from March 24 midnight.
Although COVID-19 cases have grown faster over the last one week, the transmission rate in India is lower than elsewhere, experts note. On March 19, every positive case in India was transmitting the virus to 1.7 people on average. By March 26, that number had risen to 1.81, but remained significantly lower than in countries such as Iran or Italy, according to Institute of Mathematical Sciences in Chennai scientist Sitabhra Sinha.
READ | As US deaths cross 3,400, ICMR compares: coronavirus infection probability is low in India
READ | Coronavirus: Pre-lockdown stocks running out, stores wait for trucks and labour
READ | Explained: How does alcohol in sanitisers (and soap) kill the virus?
READ | Maharashtra: With smile and thumbs-up, anganwadi worker pulls through
READ | Tablighi Jamaat congregation: First link was spotted on March 17; list of foreigners took till 21st
Here’s a quick Coronavirus guide from Express Explained to keep you updated: What can cause a COVID-19 patient to relapse after recovery? | COVID-19 lockdown has cleaned up the air, but this may not be good news. Here’s why | Can alternative medicine work against the coronavirus? | A five-minute test for COVID-19 has been readied, India may get it too | How India is building up defence during lockdown | Why only a fraction of those with coronavirus suffer acutely | How do healthcare workers protect themselves from getting infected? | What does it take to set up isolation wards?
Key UN climate talks which were set to take place in Glasgow in November have been postponed until 2021, The Guardian reported. Announcing the postponement of Cop26, its president-designate and the UK’s business secretary, Alok Sharma, said: "The world is currently facing an unprecedented global challenge and countries are rightly focusing their efforts on saving lives and fighting Covid-19. That is why we have decided to reschedule Cop26. We will continue working tirelessly with our partners to deliver the ambition needed to tackle the climate crisis and I look forward to agreeing a new date for the conference."
A group of 10 religious preachers from Indonesia, who tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Telangana, should have set alarm bells ringing in the country’s fight against the spread of the disease. They had participated in the Tablighi Jamaat meeting at the Alami Markaz (headquarters of the Tablighi Jamaat) in New Delhi’s Nizamuddin, and had reached Ramagundem in Telangana on March 13 by AP Sampark Kranti Express before they were tested positive.
monthly limit of free stories.
with an Express account.
Taking cognizance of news reports saying that at least 200 people who attended a gathering at Markaz Nizamuddin have traveled to the state, and maybe infected with COVID-19, the Gujarat High Court on Wednesday called for an urgent hearing over the matter and sought a detailed status report from the Centre and state government by April 3.
The high court has sought a detailed status report from the Centre of all the persons who entered Gujarat and were part of the gathering, regardless of nationality. In case it is a foreign national, details including nationality, purpose of their visit and nature of visas for those foreign nationals should also be sought, the court said. READ MORE
A three-day-old boy on Wednesday tested positive for COVID-19, suspected to have caught the virus from the bed occupied by an infected patient before it was allotted to his mother at Sai hospital in Mumbai. While the mother has also tested positive, the boy is the state’s youngest COVID-19 patient.
The newborn was delivered at the Chembur-based hospital on March 26. On Tuesday, the mother and son were shifted to Kurla Bhabha hospital and later to Kasturba Hospital. The family claimed no paediatrician had visited the baby and the mother at Kasturba Hospital – the nodal centre for COVID-19 cases in Mumbai – since they had been admitted there. Read more
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh tweeted Thursday that there are two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state.
Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted late on Wednesday night: 'Alert ~ 3 more #COVID19 positive cases in Goalpara, Assam, taking the total to 16. These three new cases are also of those who joined #TablighiJamaat congregation at #NizamuddinMarkaz.' READ MORE
The Union Health Ministry stated Tuesday night that India's total figure for coronavirus cases stands at 1,834 which includes a total of 41 deaths as well.
Padma Shri recipient and former "Hazoori Raagi" at the Golden Temple, Nirmal Singh, has tested positive for coronavirus, a health official said on Wednesday. The report of the samples of the 62-year-old "Gurbani" exponent came positive, Civil Surgeon Prabhdeep Kaur Johal said here.
Singh, who recently returned from abroad, was admitted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital after he complained of breathlessness and dizziness on March 30, she said. Meanwhile, police sealed the area around Singh's residence to check the spread of the infection. According to officials, Singh had held a large 'sammelan' (religious gathering) in Delhi and some other places after he returned from abroad. (PTI)
World Health Organizaton briefs the media about the Coronavirus pandemic.
The West Bengal government's Department of Health and Family Welfare announced on Wednesday evening that 10 more people — three females and seven males — have tested positive for COVID-19 as of April 1. This brings the total number of cases in West Bengal to 37. The government also stated that three patients have died but it is not confirmed whether the cause of death was COVID-19.
In the wake of milkmen in Karnataka’s Belagavi throwing away an estimated 1,500 litres of milk due to COVID-19 lockdown, the state government has decided to purchase excess milk procured by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) and distribute it free of cost to residents residing in slums and poor people through local municipal bodies from Thursday. READ MORE
11 individuals who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in the national capital have been tested positive in Rajasthan.
A high powered committee comprising chairperson Justice Rajesh Bindal on Wednesday recommended the UT government release all the prisoners on eight-week special parole who had been convicted in one case have spent more than 10 years in jail. The parole is extendable to another eight weeks if lockdown by the government continues, it said, recommending in case of female prisoners the period of detention in jail shall be eight years.
However, special parole will not be available to convicts involved in militancy related cases, intermediate or large recovery of narcotics, or under the POCSO Act. This concession will also be not available to prisoners convicted for an offense against woman, acid attack, or foreign nationals.
Constituted by the UT Government on directions of Supreme Court to de-congest jails in view of the spread of Coronavirus pandemic in the country, the high powered committee had members in Principal Secretary Home Shaleen Kabra and Director General of Police (Prisons) V K Singh.
It also recommended release of all those on special parole who have been sentenced to three years imprisonment with or without fine and their conviction has been upheld by the appellate court, but their revision petition is pending before the high court, as also those who have completed their sentence but are still in prison due to non-payment of fine. It further recommended that matters pertaining to prisoners with advanced age, suffering from any illness may be examined on a case to case basis.
Similarly, in case of undertrials, it proposed that all those with only one case pending against them and in which the maximum sentence is seven years or less with or without fine shall be considered for 60 days interim bail on furnishing surety and personal bond, extendable for another period in case the circumstances so demand.
Eight of the 10 persons from Manipur who attended a religious congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz in New Delhi have tested negative, said an official statement of the Manipur government. It said that the results of the remaining two are inconclusive and they are currently lodged at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) and Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS).
Clarifying that there are no new cases of COVID-19 in the state till date, the statement said that the eight individuals whose results came negative are at Government quarantine centre. Meanwhile, the state has ordered that all educational institutes like schools, tuition centers, coaching classes, boardings among others will continue to remain close beyond March 31 until further orders.
The Jammu and Kashmir's administration has asked police to book nearly half a dozen people belonging to Tableegi Jamaat in Kathua district for concealing the travel history including their stay at Nizamuddin in Delhi.
Giving particulars of seven people belonging to Nagri Parole in Kathua district, Tehsildar concerned in a letter to Kathua Deputy Commissioner said that these people stayed at home and met with locals, thus posing risk to the life of hundreds of people. She requested that criminal proceedings under relevant sections of law shall be initiated against them.
Kathua SSP Shailender Mishra said that police have received a letter from Kathua Deputy Commissioner for registration of a case against half a dozen Tableegi Jamaat people. Police are looking into the matter, he added.
The government's Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Wednesday highlighted the Supreme Court's directive to the media to maintain a strong sense of responsibility while reporting on issues pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that unverified news capable of causing panic is not disseminated. In a statement, the PIB said the Supreme Court has noted that the migration of a large number of labourers working in the cities was triggered by panic created by fake news that the lockdown would continue for more than three months. The court observed that it was not possible for it to overlook the menace of fake news by electronic, print or social media because the panic-driven migration has caused suffering to those who acted on such news, causing some to lose their lives, said the statement by the PIB which is under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The Supreme Court has directed the media, including print, electronic and social media, to maintain a strong sense of responsibility and ensure that unverified news capable of causing panic is not disseminated, it said. (PTI)
Eight more COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in Assam, taking the total number of cases up to 13. All eight participated in the Tablighi Jamaat event at Delhi’s Nizamuddin Markaz, confirmed Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Jammu and Kashmir administration has warned government servants against publically criticising its efforts to combat the COVID-19, citing that it is against the service conduct rules. "There can be difference of opinion or some minor issues, which the government employees can bring into the notice of authorities concerned so that the issue is redressed instead of putting that issue in social media, print and electronic media which is causing more harm than good to the public and administration in combating the pandemic," read a circular issued by the Directorate of Health Services, J&K.
President Trump of the US, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the UK, President Emmanuel Macron of France, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain are among the leaders who are being seen more favourably as their respective governments are handling the response to the global outbreak. Here is where Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands in terms of popularity among all democratic leaders. Click here to know
COVID-19 is generally understood to be transmitted through thorough two modes: one is through infection by droplets released in the air by sneezes and coughs; the other by infection when one comes into contact with any object that has virus on it. Other than these two modes of transmission, scientists say there is a ‘third route’ through which the virus infects the population —microdroplets. Read more here
In view of the coronavirus outbreak, the All England Lawn Tennis Club announced that this summer's Wimbledon has been cancelled. Wimbledon joins the bandwagon of sports event that has either been postponed or called off this year—the other being Tokyo Olympics, Euro 2020, and The Masters.
IIT Delhi, the organizing institute for Joint Entrance Examination (JEE-Advanced) 2020, has postponed the entrance examination that was scheduled to be held on May 17. The government had already postponed JEE (Main), which was going to be held between April 7 and 11 and NEET on May 3. JEE (Main) is the gateway exam for admission to the National Institutes of Technology. Every year, roughly 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh candidates appear for JEE (Advanced) for entry to the IITs. These candidates are selected out of the JEE (Main) candidate pool.
People queue outside a fair price store in Kolkata.
Security tightened as Worli Koliwada, Adarsh Nagar, Prabhadevi remain sealed.
Shiv Sena activist of Mazgaon along with the Darukhana Iron Steel and Scrap Merchants Association distribute food to daily wage earners in Mumbai.
Artists from South Africa relax as the circus been shut down due to the lockdown in Wagholi.
A total of 32 persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Delhi. Of these, 29 are from Nizamuddin Markaz. Nizamuddin in Delhi has emerged as one of the 10 virus hotspots in the country after a religious meeting there was attended by people with travel history to Indonesia and Malaysia. The national capital did not report a single case of local transmisson today. Many participants of the congregation of the Tablighi Jamaat in mid-March tested positive and thousands have since then spread to different parts of the country, including some foreign nationals.
Dharavi, which is considered as Asia's largest slum, has reported its first case of the novel coronavirus. Dharavi, the 500-acre urban sprawl in the heart of the financial capital which is a beehive of Mumbai’s small-scale manufacturers, houses more than 15 lakh people.
On Monday, the government said that it had identified 10 ‘hotspots’ where ‘unusual’ transmission of COVID-19 had been detected. In this episode, we take a look inside one of these hotspots – Nizamuddin. First, Abantika Ghosh explains how these hotspots were identified. Next, Somya Lakhani and Sourav Roy Barman tell us how Nizamuddin became one of the epicentres of the coronavirus in India, the measures being implemented there and how the rhetoric around it is now turning communal. And last, Vishnu Varma talks about a story that emerged from another ‘hotspot’ in the country, the Pathanamthitta district. The story of an elderly couple, a 93 years old and a 88 year old woman, who recovered from COVID-19. Click here to listen to our podcast
Britain reported 563 daily coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, the first time the national toll has exceeded 500, bringing the total fatalities to 2,352, according to official figures, reported news agency AFP. "As of 5 pm (1600 GMT) on 31 March, of those hospitalised in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 2,352 have sadly died," the health ministry said on its official Twitter page.
Despite having a clear edge over other states in terms of testing rate, doctors and experts in Kerala, wary over the extent of possible community spread in the state, are asking the government to avoid being complacent at this juncture. Only a combination of intensified random testing along with strict lockdown and social distancing measures in the coming weeks can help the state tide over the crisis. The first week of April is doubly crucial for Kerala: it is the last week of mandatory home quarantine for those who returned from foreign countries in the final lot before airports were indefinitely shut. If there is a possibility of exponential rise in cases, it is now. Read more here
Picture credit: Kerala govt PRD
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will hold board exams for just 29 out of the 41 remaining papers of Class 10th and 12th. It said the dates for the same will be announced in the due course. Union HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said that the board shall conduct exams for the 29 subjects by giving adequate notice. He also advised the CBSE to promote all students studying in classes 1 to 8 to the next class. Students studying in classes 9 & 11 will be promoted to the next class based on the school-based assessments including projects, periodic tests, term exams, etc. conducted so far. Students not promoted this time can appear in school-based test/s, online or offline.
A total of 110 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, taking the overall tally to 234. Beela Rajesh, the state health secretary, said all the people who tested positive today are Tablighi Jamaat attendees in Delhi's Nizamuddin Markaz. In Bihar, 23 positive cases have been reported today with one each from Begusarai and Nalanda. Meanwhile in Gurgaon, three more people who had tested positive for the virus have recovered, said officials. As a result, 9 of the 10 people who have tested positive so far in the district have recovered and have been discharged. Only one active case remains as of now. Elsewhere in Rajasthan, the police have traced 183 persons from 13 districts of who had visited the Markaz Nizamuddin, the headquarters of the Tablighi Jamaat. Whereas, the Uttar Pradesh government has identified 569 people, who attended religious congregation in Delhi. All of them have been quarantined.
A 72-year-old Coronavirus patient died in Meerut on Wednesday. According to officials, the man was one of the sixteen persons who had been infected by one person who had travelled from Maharashtra to Meerut, which has been declared as one of the 10 COVID-19 hotspots in the country. According to officials, the deceased is the father-in-law of the man who came from Amravati to Meerut. Medical officials state that sixteen members of the same family were infected during his 3 day stay in Meerut. Till Wednesday afternoon, 19 persons had been reported positive in the district. Read more here
On duty police officials purchasing vegetables for their home during the lockdown in Lucknow on Wednesday.
A big queue outside the government ration shops on the first day of the month in Lucknow on Wednesday.
A man carrying a bag of potatoes on the 8th day of lockdown in Lucknow.
A dog lover feeding stray dogs at a city street during the lockdown in Lucknow.
COVID-19 pandemic most challenging crisis since World War II: UN chief
The coronavirus pandemic is the most challenging crisis the world has faced since World War II, one that is killing people and will also lead to an economic recession without any parallel in the recent past, according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Europe toll hits grim milestone
The coronavirus pandemic has claimed more than 30,000 lives in Europe alone, a global tally showed Wednesday, in what the head of the United Nations has described as humanity's worst crisis since World War II.
UK extends work visas for Indian, foreign doctors amid coronavirus outbreak
In a relief to foreign doctors, including from India, whose visas were set to expire in October this year, the UK government has extended the deadline by one year amid the country's fight against the pandemic.
US death toll surpasses 4,000, higher than the 9/11 terror attacks
The coronavirus deaths crossed 4,000 in the US on Wednesday, a number higher than the ghastly 9/11 terror attacks in the country, even as the top health experts projected that the pandemic could kill between 100,000 and 200,000 Americans.
Spain death toll hits 9,053 as virus cases pass 100,000
The coronavirus death toll in Spain surged over 9,000 on Wednesday after a record 864 deaths in 24 hours, with the number of confirmed cases passing the 100,000 mark, the government said.
As the novel coronavirus has spread across continents, studies are underway to better understand its origin and how it is transmitted. Diseases caused by coronaviruses, such as COVID-19, are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), SARS-CoV was transmitted to humans from civet cats, and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels. While researchers are yet to conclude how the novel coronavirus, which was first detected in China’s Wuhan, originated, many believe it could be traced back to bats. Read our explainer to know more about this
A patient shifted from Nizamuddin West died at Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty hospital in Delhi Tuesday late night. The patient was from Malaysia and had tested negative for COVID-19. Nizamuddin West, an otherwise bustling neighbourhood known for its Sufi dargah, has been declared as one of the 10 COVID-19 hotspots in the country by the Centre.
ICMR's Dr RR Gangakhedkar said a total of 47,951 COVID-19 tests have been conducted across the country till date and that 816 tests in private labs since yesterday.
Health Ministry's Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said a total of 134 cases have been linked to Nizamuddin Tableeghi Jamaat event in various states.
An outbreak in Jaipur's Ramganj has taken the number of novel coronavirus positive cases in Rajasthan to 106.
The death toll in Spain has crossed the 9,000-mark after recording 864 deaths in the last 24 hours and confirmed cases totalling down to 102,136. The virus has, so far, claimed 9,053 lives in the country.
Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state has reached a "critical" stage as the number of coronavirus cases are likely to increase by double digit today. Around 347 people, who attended the Tablighi Jamaat meet in Delhi’s Markaz Nizamuddin returned to Assam on March 16, he said. Assam has reported five positive COVID-19 cases as of 2 pm, April 1.
Sarma also announced that a the government has compiled a list of 547 people who were present “in and around” the Nizamuddin Markaz on those dates. This includes people who even crossed the road at that point, as picked up by mobile tower. Out of 547, 347 have come back to Assam after March 16. The government is trying to trace and quarantine them. “We have traced 230 out of 347,” said Sarma.
He said Assam has now reached a very critical stage, and appealed to the people to stay home. He also asked anyone who might have attended the meet to report themselves by dialing 104.
While, a 52-year-old man from Karimganj district was confirmed positive yesterday, the rest have been confirmed by the Gauhati Medical College & Hospital today.
In the first suspected coronavirus death in Uttar Pradesh, samples of a 25-year-old youth from Basti who died during treatment earlier at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur revealed he was carrying the disease.
According to officials at the King George Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow, his sample was found positive at the BRD, and it was sent for confirmation at the KGMU. The second test also turned out to be positive. As per sources in the health department, the youth had died on Monday.
Calling the medical professionals "no less than soldiers," Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that the family of any health personnel who will lose his/her life in the battle against coronavirus will be given Rs 1 crore. "If anyone loses their life while serving coronavirus patients, whether sanitation workers, doctors or nurses, their family will be provided Rs 1 crore as a mark of respect to their service. Whether they are from the private or government sector... it doesn't matter," he said.
Meanwhile, The Indian Express also has a special series called 'The Corona fighters' dedicated to all those at the frontline involved in saving lives. Check it out, here
The Philippines recorded 227 new coronavirus cases and eight more deaths on Wednesday, the health ministry said. The latest figures brought the total number of infections and deaths in the country to 2,311 and 96, respectively.
A day after reporting its first coronavirus patient, four other patients were tested positive today. All four had attended the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi.
On Monday, the Assam government announced a slew of relief measures for the poor in the wake of the nationwide lockdown. An official statement from the Chief Minister's Office said that from April 1, 58 lakh families would be getting free rice under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). Additionally, there would be a one-time cash assistance of Rs 1,000 for families without the NFSA card.
"Coronavirus came into India a little later than other countries. This is why we can learn from other countries the ways they are dealing with the infections," Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, emphasising that there's no community transmission yet. He also thanked the medical workers for their dedication and role in this fight
The number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan surpassed 2,000 on Wednesday, indicating an upward trend. The Ministry of National Health Services said that 105 new patients tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of infections to 2,039. It showed that the largest provinces of Punjab had 708 cases, Sindh 676, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) 253, Balochistan 158, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) 184, Islamabad 54 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 6. So far, 26 people have died due to the virus and 82 have recovered, while another 12 are in critical condition.
Wipro Ltd, Wipro Enterprises Ltd, and Azim Premji Foundation have together committed Rs 1,125 crore to tackle coronavirus pandemic. These resources will help enable the dedicated medical and service fraternity in the frontline of the battle against the pandemic and in mitigating its wide-ranging human impact, particularly on the most disadvantaged of our society, as per a company statement released on Wednesday. Of the Rs 1,125 crore, Wipro Ltd's commitment is Rs 100 crore, Wipro Enterprises Ltd's is Rs 25 crore, and that of the Azim Premji Foundation is Rs 1,000 crore, it added. These sums are in addition to the annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities of Wipro, and the usual philanthropic spends of the Azim Premji Foundation, the statement said.
Before this, Tata Trusts and Tata group together pledged Rs 1,500 crore, Reliance Industries' chief Mukesh Ambani committed Rs 500 crore to the Prime Minister's COVID-19 fund, Infosys Foundation Rs 100 crore
Even as the governments are engaged in tracing the contacts linked to a religious meeting of Tablighi Jamaat in New Delhi, experts believe that from the perspective of containing the spread, the emergence of these clusters might be a good thing. Besides the fact that the source of transmission in most of these cases can reliably be traced, experts say such concentrated cases could also be easier for the health authorities to handle compared to isolated cases dispersed in population, in terms of isolating them and preventing further spread from them. Read our explainer here
A 3D medical imaging released by George Washington University Hospital in the US shows how quickly the novel coronavirus can spread through the lungs of a healthy person. The hospital used images from CT scans, usually used for cancer screenings or to plan surgeries, to create a 3D view of the lungs of a coronavirus patient, who had been asymptomatic a few days earlier.
The imagery, which was used for the first time to study the novel coronavirus, shows extensive damage to the lungs. After contracting the infection, rapid damage to the lungs occurred and the Washington patient was put on life support, CNN quoted Dr Keith Mortman, chief of thoracic surgery at George Washington University Hospital, as saying.
Mainland China, where the global coronavirus pandemic began in December, reported dwindling new infections on Wednesday, but it also published the daily change in asymptomatic cases for the first time, creating a murkier picture of the trends. There were 36 new cases on Tuesday, almost all of them involving travelers arriving from overseas, the National Health Commission said, down from 48 a day earlier, and bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 81,554. But the tally excludes the 130 new cases involving people who do not exhibit symptoms of the highly contagious disease, statistics from the health authority showed. China began publishing daily data on asymptomatic cases on Wednesday. Some other countries include asymptomatic cases that test positive for their virus in the overall tally of confirmed cases, as per World Health Organization guidelines.
Two persons, who had attended a religious congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin area, tested positive for coronavirus in Puducherry on Wednesday, a senior official said. Director of Health and Family Welfare Mohan Kumar said the two had returned from Delhi after attending the congregation and were admitted to the State Government hospital
Coronavirus cases in India rose sharply to 1,637, registering a jump of 240 cases in a single day. The death toll has also increased to 38
Central Asian nation Turkmenistan which has reported zero cases of the novel coronavirus has banned the media from using word “coronavirus.” According to media reports, the word has also been removed from health information brochures distributed in schools, hospitals and workplaces. Ranked last in the group’s 2019 World Press Freedom Index, the gas-rich autocratic ex-Soviet nation of Turkmenistan is one of the world’s most closed countries. It also neighbours Iran which has reported more than 44,000 cases. Paris-based reporters without borders said people wearing face masks or talking about the coronavirus are liable to be arrested by plainclothes police.
Two persons infected with coronavirus have died in West Bengal, taking the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the state to six, a health department official said on Wednesday. A 57-year-old man, who was admitted to a private hospital in Golabari area of Howrah district two days ago, died on Tuesday night, he said. "We are trying to find out the travel history of the deceased and whether he had come in contact with any person infected with coronavirus," the official said. Another 57-year-old man died in a hospital in Belghoria in North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday morning, he said. The second person had no history of travelling abroad or to any other state in India, the official said. (PTI)
At 65, German chancellor Angela Merkel is more in demand than ever as Europe’s most powerful leader steers her country through what she describes as the greatest challenge since the war. Polls show a surge in support for her party and broad public approval of her policies. As the European Union’s longest-serving leader, Merkel’s dilemma is whether she goes all out to help the bloc emerge intact from the pandemic, or risk it splintering along national lines. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte warned the Covid-19 response could give succor to nationalist, anti-EU parties that have gained ground across the continent since the onslaught of the European debt crisis in late 2009.