Coronavirus April 26 Highlights: Delhi sees big jump in number of Covid-19 cases

Badruddin Shaikh, 67, a senior Congress corporator and former leader of opposition in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), succumbed to COVID 19 late Sunday, after being on ventilator for more than a week. Shaikh had tested positive on April 15 and was admitted at AMC run SVP hospital. He had hypertension and diabetes and had recently undergone a heart surgery.

Read more here

With 293 more people being confirmed positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, the total number of coronavirus cases in the national capital rose to 2,918, according to the Delhi government's health department. The total number of cases on Saturday stood at 2,625. As many as 877 patients have been cured till now, while 54 have died of the disease.

?Delhi Health Bulletin and Testing Status - 26th April 2020 ?#DelhiFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/baPmKdVXVT

— CMO Delhi (@CMODelhi) April 26, 2020

With reports of rise in domestic violence cases ever since the Covid-19 lockdown was imposed in India, the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) has said victims can reach out to them on a tollfree helpline, and also through WhatsApp or SMS.

The DSLSA revealed the information before the Delhi High Court recently, adding that once a missed call or a message is received, the victim is contacted with competent legal aid and advice.

The DSLAS’s submissions were made during hearing of a petition by an NGO — All India Council of Human Rights Liberties and Social Justice – that sought an intervention by the High Court for effective measures to help victims of domestic violence.

On the 33rd day of the lockdown, India recorded the highest one-day rise of 1,975 novel coronavirus cases, taking the total number of cases close to the 27000-mark, including 826 deaths. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his monthly radio program ‘Mann ki Baat’, called the fight against Covid-19 ‘people-driven’ and asked people to shun any complacency that they will not be infected by the virus. Here is a list of striking stories from across the country on the 33rd day of lockdown.

At a time when social distancing has emerged as the watchword for fighting the coronavirus pandemic, a YouTuber from Tripura has made a unique electric motorcycle to create awareness among people. In keeping with guidelines issued by the WHO, the electric bike has a one-metre distance between each seat.

The bike is the brainchild of Partha Saha of Aralia village near Agartala. Speaking to indianexpress.com, Saha said neither he wishes to popularise the vehicle as a commercial product nor would he seek permission from the transport department.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra crossed the 8,000-mark on Sunday after 440 more people were found infected. With the new cases, the number of such patients in the state has now reached 8,068. So far, 1,188 patients across the state have been discharged after recovery.

The current count of COVID19 patients in the state of Maharashtra is 8068. Today newly 440 patients have been identified as positive for Covid19. From these,1188 Covid19 patients have been cured and discharged from the respective hospitals.#CoronaVirusUpdates #MeechMazaRakshak

— Rajesh Tope (@rajeshtope11) April 26, 2020

Tamil Nadu has become the second state after Maharashtra to report more than 1000 recoveries. As many as 60 persons were discharged from various hospitals in the state today, taking the total number of recoveries to 1,020. Meanwhile, a 42-year old man died of the virus in Chennai, the 24th victim to the infection in Tamil Nadu. The total number of cases increased to 1885 after 64 more people were tested positive. Out of this, only 841 patients remain Covid-19 active.

Around 25 migrant labourers from Jamnagar district who were going to their native places in Madhya Pradesh in a tractor amid the coronavirus lockdown were stopped by police near Morbi town on Sunday. A team of Morbi ‘B’ Division police posted at Navlakhi check-post on the outskirts of Morbi town stopped a tractor ferrying around 25 labourers, including women and children, while it was coming from the neighbouring Jamnagar district on Sunday afternoon. “The labourers said that they were working on agricultural fields at Latipar village in Dhrol taluka of Jamanagar district and that they were on their way back to Madhya Pradesh,” P B Gadhvi, Inspector of Morbi ‘B’ Division police station said. Read more here

Dressed in a simple white kurta and dhoti, and his face covered with a mask, Kanti Amliyar embarks on a routine tour of his village to identify those who are in need of vegetables during the coronavirus lockdown.

While several vegetable farmers have not been able to sell their produce amid the lockdown, Amliyar has turned the crisis into an opportunity to serve the needy. The 55-year-old farmer from Dahod has been distributing vegetable packets for free at his village, Usarvan.

Over 40 per cent of the villagers at Usarvan, which has a population of around 5,000 people, are migrant and contractual labourers who have returned to their native village and are facing a resource crunch.

With the death of a 45-year-old Covid-19 patient in Bengaluru on Sunday, the disease toll in Karnataka rose to 19. According to the Department of Health and Family Welfare Services, the deceased — a resident of Bengaluru Urban district – had been admitted to a city hospital on Friday.

“P 465 was diagnosed with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI). She had a medical history of Pneumonia and was diabetic with a past history of Tuberculosis. (She) died on Sunday (April 26) at a designated hospital in Bengaluru,” the official statement read.

Meanwhile, only three new cases (all contacts of earlier patients) were confirmed in the state on Sunday — the least daily additions recorded in the last fortnight or so. Of the new cases, two are from Kalaburagi while the other is from Dakshina Kannada.

No fresh novel coronavirus case has been reported in Himachal Pradesh for the last three days, a senior health official told PTI on Sunday. Of the 176 samples sent for testing on Sunday, 38 tested negative while reports of the rest are awaited, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said. These tests are being conducted at Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC) in Tanda, Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla and Central Research Institute (CRI) in Kasauli in Solan district. Himachal Pradesh has so far reported 41 coronavirus cases. While 22 patients have recovered, 13 are undergoing treatment.

Kerala Minister of Health & Social Justice, K K Shailaja said that 11 new cases of the coronavirus infection were confirmed in the state today - six persons from Idukki district and five in Kottayam district. While one person has returned to Kerala from overseas, three have come back from neighbouring states and seven are cases of local transmission. This includes one Doctor in Idukki district and two healthcare workers in Kottayam district.

At the same time, four patients under treatment for Covid-19 have recovered. One patient each from Thiruvananthapuram, Malappuram, Kannur and Kasargod districts are those who tested negative today. This takes the total number of recovered cases in Kerala to 342 as 123 patients are still under treatment in different hospitals in the state.

Taking to Twitter, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said that 150 students from Kota are on their way to Punjab in 7 buses and will reach tomorrow morning. "Also, 60 Punjab Govt buses are going to Jaisalmer to ferry around 2,700 Punjabis who are stranded in 5 relief camps there.", he added.

Happy to share with you all that 150 students from Kota are on their way to Punjab in 7 buses and will reach tomorrow morning. Also, 60 Punjab Govt buses are going to Jaisalmer to ferry around 2,700 Punjabis who are stranded in 5 relief camps there.

— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) April 26, 2020

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat Sunday told Sangh workers that they should continue with coronavirus relief work till the pandemic ends, and help all those affected due to the COVID-19 crisis “without discrimination”.

In an online address, Bhagwat said the RSS is active during lockdown, with its work having taken the shape of relief activities, PTI reported.

The RSS chief said the organisation was working to create awareness about the Covid-19 pandemic, while observing all rules and precautions during the lockdown.

Accusing Mamata Banerjee of failing to tackle the spread of Covid-19 in West Bengal, Union Minister and West Bengal BJP leader Babul Supriyo said that the Chief Minister’s ‘publicity over pandemic’ needs to be opposed in order to save the state from the virus.

“West Bengal govt’s failure in tackling Covid-19 in the state is out in the open. All of us have to unite and stand against Mamata Banerjee’s 1. Politics Over Lives 2. Publicity Over Pandemic, only then we will be able to save Bengal from corona,” Supriyo tweeted with a picture in which he along with five other leaders is seen wearing masks and holding placards against the ruling state government, with hashtag #SaveBengalFromCorona written on it.

West Bengal govt's failure in tackling #COVID19 in the state is out in the open.All of us have to unite and stand against #MamataBanerjee's
1. Politics Over Lives
2. Publicity Over Pandemic,only then we will be able to #SaveBengalFromCorona @swapan55 @MenonArvindBJP@BJP4Bengal pic.twitter.com/c83fT3Y1dn

— Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) April 26, 2020

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that the decision on the relaxation of restrictions in the state will be taken after a review of the situation once the national lockdown ends on May 3. He said this during his televised address over the coronavirus situation in the state.

“The national lockdown, which has been extended till May 3, will be reviewed once we get stock of the situation next week. We will decide our next steps on relaxation of the lockdown after that,” Thackeray said.

CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray addressing the State https://t.co/yjy7PUQ0mP

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 26, 2020

According to Health Ministry’s latest update, the total number of cases climbed to 26,917. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 20,177 while 5,913 people were cured and discharged, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said. With 1,975 new cases and 47 casualties in the past 24 hours, the death toll is pegged at 826. Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state, followed by Gujarat.

#covid2019India update: 26917 cases, 826 deaths ?@IndianExpress? pic.twitter.com/72ODjhrm7W

— abantika ghosh (@abantika77) April 26, 2020

The Maharashtra government is “suppressing” the enormity of the COVID-19 pandemic and refusing to test suspected asymptomatic patients, senior BJP leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday.

The people of the state are paying a heavy price because of the poor response to the crisis by the Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP alliance government in the state, the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly alleged.

“Even in this time of crisis, there is neither cohesion between the ruling alliance partners nor any coordination among the ministries of the state government…people are paying a heavy price for it,” Fadnavis told PTI in an interview.

Assistant Director of Health Services (ADHS), West Bengal, Biplab Kanti Dasgupta died in the wee hours of Sunday due to coronavirus. He became the first frontline health worker of West Bengal, who died with covid-19. The 58-year-old health official was diagnosed covid positive on April 17 and was admitted to a private hospital in Salt Lake. He was diabetic and also a patient of hypertension.

Recently, in his essay in The New Yorker, Michael Schulman wrote about his parents. When he asked them to not go to restaurants or work and to sit at home and watch TV, his mother responded to his texts with a sarcastic “Thanks, Mom”. Much like the global pandemic we are in, the Baby Boomer reaction to the situation also has a global feel to it.

COVID-19 is teaching me the salient points of parenting: your children are not always going to listen to you, so you have to keep repeating yourself. Sometimes, you have to be the bad guy in the house to save them from themselves. If you aren’t one of those obnoxious people on Twitter calling COVID-19 “Boomer Remover”, I hope you are relentlessly talking to your parents even if they don’t listen. Vigilance, kindness, solidarity, responsibility and love are the only ways we can try to beat this epidemic. Read more here

Mosque in Pune's Azam Campus has been converted to a 60-bed quarantine facility. Food will be provided by Maharashtra Cosmopolitan and Education Society (MCES) who runs the campus. (Express photos by Arul Horizon)

Singer Kanika Kapoor has addressed the negativity surrounding her since she tested positive for COVID-19 more than a month ago, saying she took time to react to the misinformation about her travel history because she believed truth would prevail on its own.

Kanika, who is the first Indian celebrity to be infected with coronavirus, described her travel timeline in an Instagram post to debunk the various rumours that have since floated online- from her evading the screening at airports to throwing a party in Lucknow upon her return from London.

“I know there are several versions of stories out there about me. Some of these seem to be fuelled even more because I have chosen to be silent till now. I stayed quiet not because I am wrong but in fact being fully aware that there have been misunderstandings and wrong exchanges of information. I was giving time for the truth to prevail and for people to reach their own realisation. I thank my family, friends and supporters for allowing me the space to talk when I am ready. I hope and pray that you all are safe and being careful during this time,” the “Baby Doll” singer wrote.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Kanika Kapoor (@kanik4kapoor) on Apr 26, 2020 at 1:50am PDT

More than 600 migrant workers from UP, Punjab, and Uttarakhand, who were stranded in Gurgaon amid the lockdown, and housed at relief centres set up by the administration, are being transported back to their home states in 19 Haryana Roadways buses.

More than 600 migrant workers from UP, Punjab, & Uttarakhand, who were stranded in Gurgaon amid the lockdown, and housed at relief centres set up by the administration, are being transported back to their home states in 19 Haryana Roadways buses. @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/ML6v5vmayR

— Sakshi Dayal (@sakshi_dayal) April 26, 2020

Special buses to bring stranded migrants to railway stations after screening by state governments following which they will be taken to their native states in special trains in a kind of a hub-and-spoke arrangement — all free of cost.

This is part of the strategy chalked out by serving officers in Railways who have authored a paper titled “Facilitating Migrants Travel” in consultation with key officials in service. The paper was part of an unofficial exercise to ideate how to transport people in masses after the lockdown, and even during the lockdown, if the government decided.

The estimate, as per the paper, is several thousands of non-stop trips stretching over days. The development comes at a time when states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have recently announced plans to bring back migrant workers stuck in other states.

Vikrant Rana, a 25-year-old bachelor and mechanical design engineer living in New Ashok Nagar in Delhi, tried surviving on coke, chips, boiled eggs and Maggi for the first two days after the lockdown was announced last month. Unprepared, Rana, who usually relied on his maid for everyday meals, realised he couldn’t survive on unhealthy junk food for long and decided to cook on his own – a task he had never attempted before. Between calls to his mother in Nepal and innumerable YouTube channels – Kabita’s Kitchen and Bharatz Kitchen – he began preparing his meals.

After struggling for a day or two and often ending up with burnt food, Rana has also mastered a few life lessons. “What I realised is that when the need arises, a human being is capable of doing anything. If one works hard, anything is possible. Food is a basic need and a survival skill and we all should know how to cook,” he says. Currently, Rana has his own page Thali Bajao on Instagram, which boasts of his skills in the kitchen, from jalebi and gulab jamun to rosogulla and momos. Of course, he also has the staple dal, chawal, sabzi and basic khichdi that bachelors like him can take cues from. Read more here

Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan, who was due to superannuate this month-end, was on Sunday given a three-month extension in service as the Centre affected a major top-level bureaucratic reshuffle.

Extension for health secretary Preet Sudan.she was to superannuate this month ?@IndianExpress? #covid19India pic.twitter.com/8Q1csNpaM4

— abantika ghosh (@abantika77) April 26, 2020

The novel coronavirus pandemic is a reminder of the futility of religious barriers among people, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Sunday, pointing out how plasma therapy works irrespective of the religion of the donor and the patient. Kejriwal said a patient who was in a serious condition till Saturday night at the LNJP Hospital is showing signs of recovery after undergoing plasma therapy. Previously, six more patients had undergone plasma therapy in Delhi government hospitals as part of clinical trials that, authorities said, were considerably successful.

Plasma therapy uses antibodies found in the blood of people who have recovered from the infection (or convalesced), to treat infected patients. Plasma is a component of blood.

“It occurred to me that tomorrow the life of a Hindu patient, who is in a serious condition, might be saved due to a Muslim’s plasma. Or a Muslim patient’s life will perhaps be saved due to the plasma of a Hindu. The almighty did not put up walls between us. Ye dharam, wo dharam, kisi prakar ki khai nahi paida ki, yw toh humne banayi hai (This religion, that religion, God did not create these divisions, we made them),” Kejriwal said.

Big releases postponed, film, TV and web series shootings halted, theatres unable to screen movies, daily wage employees struggling for their next meal… the Rs 183 billion Indian film industry is going through its worst phase because of the lockdown necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic. While the impact of the lockdown on the industry at large is still being evaluated, we take a look at how slim production and related fields have suffered in India over the past month.

Covid-19’s first impact came when Reliance Entertainment on March 12 indefinitely postponed Rohit Shetty’s film Sooryavanshi. The film starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif was scheduled to release on March 24. This was quickly followed by Sir, Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, Haathi Mere Sathi and 83 getting postponed too. Baaghi 3 saw fewer takers in its second week, and Irrfan Khan’s Angrezi Medium had to be pulled out of theatres. It eventually released on OTT platform Disney+Hotstar. Similarly a lot of big ticket releases in regional languages have also been delayed.

Covid-19’s ripple effect was felt when film bodies including Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE) and Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) decided to halt shooting of movies, TV shows and web series. Major production houses like Balaji Motion Pictures, Dharma Productions and Yash Raj Films also promptly called off all production activity. Amid this, various state governments ordered the closing down of cinema halls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on March 24 of a 21-day national lockdown sealed the fate for several projects.

Whoever said parenting is easy, has not been in a lockdown with kids. Across the world, many families are cooped up inside their house together — with parents managing both taking care of their kids and their education, and their own professional commitments.

To make self-quarantine a little humorous, Brian Gordon, a dad, has started a comic series, with relatable cartoons covering everyday situations at home. Titled ‘Fowl Language Comics’ (yes, fowl, because the cartoons feature poultry), Gordon’s brainchild has garnered a lot of social media attention and following.

Speaking to HuffPost, Gordon remarked: “Like most people, we’re coping with being quarantined, and since my work is autobiographical, it only makes sense to speak openly about the challenges we all face ? and use humour to lighten the mood. I mean, home-schooling while working from home? Being the Dad and the math teacher and the lunch lady all at once? This stuff is hard, and it helps to laugh about it.”

The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the global coronavirus pandemic began, now has no remaining cases in its hospitals, a health official told reporters on Sunday. The city had reported 46,452 cases, 56% of the national total. It saw 3,869 fatalities, or 84% of China's total. Wuhan and the province of Hubei were put in lockdown near the end of January, with roads sealed, trains and planes cancelled and residents unable to move freely for more than two months. The city is still testing residents regularly despite relaxing the restrictions.

Stating that India’s fight against the novel coronavirus had become “people-driven”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said citizens should pray more than ever this Ramzan so that the world was rid of Covid-19 before Eid celebrations. Addressing his monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ programme, PM Modi said the pandemic had changed the way people celebrate festivals in the country.

PM Modi also opined that the masks would become a new symbol of civilised society in the times to come. “Due to Covid-19, masks are becoming a part of our lives. It doesn’t mean that all of those who are wearing are sick. Masks will become a new symbol of a civilised society. If you want to protect yourself and others from the disease, the use of a mask is important,” PM Modi said.

A group of 38 fishermen covered roughly around 600 nautical miles on their boat from Chennai to reach their hometown in Odisha, officials said According to PTI, the migrants, who had gone to Chennai to work for a fish merchant, were stranded in the southern metropolis following the nationwide lockdown. “We purchased a wooden boat with a dual engine and left Chennai on April 20. After undertaking a five-day long journey, we reached Ganjam on Saturday evening,” one of the fishermen said.

When asked what prompted them to leave Chennai amid the shutdown, another fisherman said, “You know that the number of coronavirus cases has been on the rise in Tamil Nadu. That apart, we would go hungry on some days. Under those circumstances, we were compelled to take the risk.”

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray today said that 80 per cent patients in the state are asymptomatic. He also urged people to get tested if they have symptoms. "It is painful that 2 of our policemen have sacrificed their lives. I pay homage to them. Their families will be supported as per the government policy. I assure the migrant labourers that I am talking to the centre and whatever is possible will be done soon. One thing is sure that trains are not starting because we don't want a crowd, otherwise, lockdown will be needed to be further extended." He also added people to stay indoors. "Today is Akshaya Tritiya but there's no celebration, I'm thankful for that. I want to appeal that it's Ramzan but don't go out to pray. Everyone's asking where's God. God is in everyone who's serving us in these hard times -Police, Doctors, cleanliness workers & others," he said.

With air and rail passenger services suspended due to a COVID-19-induced lockdown, two judges have embarked on a road journey, each of them covering over 2,000 km, as they gear up to take charge as chief justices of high courts in separate corners of the country. Justice Dipankar Datta, a judge at the Calcutta High Court, is taking turns with son to sit behind the steering wheel, as the family moved to Mumbai, where he would be taking over as the new Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, sources privy to the development said. Allahabad High Court judge Justice Biswanath Somadder, who has been elevated as the Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court, is driving to Shillong via Kolkata. Read more

After yoga, the world will accept India’s age-old ayurveda principles, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday and added that the youth will have to take the lead in explaining it to countries scientifically. In his monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio address, the prime minister said it is a “misfortune” that people of the country always refuse to acknowledge own strengths and glorious traditions. “But when another country says the very same thing on the basis of evidence-based research, when they teach us our own formula, we instantly accept it,” he lamented. Possibly, this is largely due to hundreds of years of “bondage” (foreign rule). “Due to this, often we fail to realise our own strengths,” he said. He said just as the world has happily accepted yoga, it will surely accept India’s age-old ayurvedic principles. “Of course, the youth will have to resolve to do this and explain these principles to the world in a scientific language so that they understand it,” he said.

• Norway extended its ban on events involving more than 500 people until at least September 1.
• Italians celebrated the 75th anniversary of their liberation from occupation forces in World War II by coming out in their balconies or rooftops to sing a folk song linked to resistance fighters.
• In South America, testing shortages are a major problem in Brazil, which is inching closer to becoming a pandemic hotspot. Officials in Rio de Janeiro warned that their hospital systems were on the verge of collapse or already overwhelmed.
• No new deaths were reported in China for the 10th straight day.
• South Korea’s daily increase in number or new cases remained less than 20 or the eighth day in a row, with no deaths for the second straight day.
• Sri Lanka partially lifted a month-long daytime curfew in more than two-thirds of the country, but reimposed a 24-hour countrywide lockdown until Monday after a surge of 46 new infections.
• Singapore is rapidly building bed space for coronavirus patients in exhibition halls and other temporary facilities as it faces a rise in cases, particularly among its migrant worker community. 
• Thailand reported 15 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday and no new deaths, Reuters reported.
• Mexicos’s health ministry Saturday reported 970 new coronavirus cases and 84 deaths, bringing the total cases to 13,842 and 1,305 deaths. Catch all global updates, here

The United States has around 9,56,000 cases of coronavirus and over 53,928 deaths dues to COVID-19. Around 36,491 new cases of coronavirus were reported in US on Friday, a record daily high, according to a Reuters tally.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that reopening businesses too soon would be risky. He said that his state began conducting antibody tests of nurses, doctors, police officers, grocery clerks and other essential workers while also allowing local pharmacies to collect samples for diagnostic tests. Hospitalisations in New York, the epicentre of the pandemic in US, fell to their lowest in three weeks. Meanwhile, the states of Georgia, Oklahoma and Alaska began loosening restrictions on businesses despite warning from experts.

With vehicles off the road and most industries shut for over a month due to the coronavirus lockdown, some pollution hotspots in Mumbai and Delhi have turned into green zones recording minimal or no pollution. In Delhi, Vinobapuri, Adarsh Nagar, Vasundhara, Sahibabad, Ashram road, Punjabi Bagh, Okhla and Badarpur have now become green zones, said Gufran Beig, director, Centre's System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).

In Mumbai, Worli, Borivali and Bhandup were among areas which recorded cleaner air as compared to other areas of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). These pollution hotspots in Delhi and Mumbai used to report high pollution mainly due to industrial activity or vehicular traffic. The air quality index in these areas now lie in 'good' or 'satisfactory' category. (PTI)

A Mumbai Police constable who was infected by the virus passed away today. Yesterday, another constable had succumbed to the infection

Addressing a press briefing, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, "The last week was slightly better than the week before, for the people of Delhi. There were lesser number of cases, fewer deaths and many people went home after making a complete recovery. We are implementing Centre's guidelines on opening of neighbourhood and standalone shops during lockdown." "We need to fight this infection together. let's break the barriers of Hindus and Muslims," he said. 

The walled-in life to prevent the spread of COVID-19 has led to a spike in mental-health issues. From patients regressing in their treatment to people with no prior history finding themselves unable to cope with the uncertainty, notes from a world at unease. This inability to face up to what is an unprecedented situation is taking its toll on people across the world. Read more from our Sunday EYE cover story

During his monthly radio address ‘Mann ki Baat’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the fight against coronavirus in India ‘people-driven.’ "People are rising to occasion to help each other; we are all in this together. Be it businesses, office culture, education, medical sector, everyone is adapting to changes in the post-coronavirus world," he said, hailing the efforts of state government and health workers in the fight

Doctors treating COVID-19 cases in Indore say a more virulent strain may be wreaking havoc in the city, which has emerged as the coronavirus hotspot in Madhya Pradesh. They say samples from Indore, where COVID-19 has killed 57 people, will be sent to the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) to confirm their apprehensions of the strain being deadlier than in other parts of the country. "We have a feeling the strain is definitely more virulent in Indore belt. We have discussed this with the NIV and will be sending samples for them to compare by extraction of virus genome, Dean of Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Medical College Jyoti Bindal told PTI. "There are also other factors also for the high fatality rate, like patients turning up at the hospitals late," she said. "In Indore belt, the testing is confined to coronavirus detection only, and not its type, another doctor said.

An "intense lockdown" to check the spread of COVID-19 began this morning in five cities of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai Salem and Tirupur.

Tamil Nadu: Streets wear a deserted look near the Palakkad Main Road area in Coimbatore following the announcement of complete lockdown in the city, by Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami, from April 26 to April 29, between 6 AM & 9 PM. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/wm57IX7POI

— ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2020

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation in his monthly radio programme “Mann Ki Baat” at 11 am on Sunday. In this 64th episode scheduled on the 33rd day of the nationwide lockdown, PM Modi is expected to brief listeners on the measures taken by his government to fight the coronavirus. Taking to Twitter on Saturday, Modi said that he had been getting ‘insightful inputs’ for this Mann Ki Baat speech and urged people to tune in to listen to him.

As scientists and experts race against time to study the virus and its behaviour, Dr. Gomes in Goa has been probing a different science: “The power of human proximity in fighting an epidemic.” Across the globe, positive patients have been taken away by staff in PPEs and sent to isolation wards, without the comfort of family and without any of the colour from flowers or words in get-well cards – with just the cold, sterile hospital architecture for company.

With the coronavirus novel, so are the fears. As Gomes and his team of four resident doctors ( Nidhi Prabhu, Geetali Velip, Masood Mujawar, Harshal Mamlekar) and nursing staff responded to questions from patients – mostly related to “nature of death” — they made it a point to repeat “you will be alright” at intervals. Read more

How do you travel from Mumbai to Allahabad when there is a lockdown? Buy 25 tonnes of onions, load them onto a truck and hit the road. Desperate to reach his ancestral village on the outskirts of Allahabad, Prem Murti Pandey, who works at Mumbai airport, says he did just that. Pandey said he bought 25,520 kilos of onions at Rs 9.10 per kg, shelling out Rs 2.32 lakh. He then hired a truck for Rs 77,500 and set off on April 20 with the onions on a 1,200-km journey to Allahabad. Read more, here

For the fourth time in the last one week, the daily increase in the number of Coronavirus patients in India registered a new record on Saturday. Not surprisingly, the big rise was powered once again by the large numbers reported from Maharashtra and Gujarat, two of the fastest-growing states in the country. Both Maharashtra and Gujarat have more than doubled their numbers in the past one week. Read our expainer, here

Colleges across the country are likely to be presented with three models next week for holding their semester-end (or year-end) examinations online. They can administer a subjective-type written assessment, a multiple-choice test or a case study/project-based evaluation — all under the watchful eyes of web cameras.

Many universities may adopt the online examinations for the final-year students at least, even as they remain unsure about it. Semester-end exams usually happen in May. A delay for final-year students could end up affecting their joining date for new jobs or plans for further studies.

India recorded 1,990 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours - its biggest single-day spike so far - taking the total to 26, 496, including 809 deaths, the Union Health Ministry said this morning. Forty-nine deaths were reported from different parts of the country in the last 24 hours. Of the 26,496 cases, 19,868 are active, while 5,804 are recovered patients.

“Sagey bhraavan vich khaar hundi hai, saada taan imaandaari da rishta si. Mera bhraa siga, mera yaar siga Amrik (Real brothers have differences, but we shared an honest relationship. He was my brother, my best friend).” Fauja Singh, 109 years old and believed to be the world’s oldest marathon runner, bursts into tears at the mere mention of his friend and running mate, Amrik Singh, who succumbed to coronavirus infection on April 22. Amrik (89) passed away at Birmingham’s City Hospital with doctors struggling to understand his last words. Back home in Glasgow’s Pears Den, Amrik has left behind a collection of over 650 medals which he won running across the world, including at least a hundred marathons. Read more

As the global death toll from the coronavirus surpassed 200,000 on Saturday, countries took cautious steps toward easing lockdowns imposed amid the pandemic, but fears of a surge in infections made even some outbreak-wounded businesses reluctant to reopen.

• Saudi Arabia partially lifts curfew: Saudi Arabia's King Salman issued an order to partially lift the curfew in all regions of the kingdom, to become from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., starting Sunday through Wednesday, May 13, while keeping a 24-hour curfew in Mecca and in previously isolated neighbourhoods. The order also allowed the opening of some economic and commercial activities
• Spain eases restrictions: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that Spaniards will be allowed to leave their homes for short walks and exercise starting May 2 after seven weeks of strict home confinement, though he said ``maximum caution will be our guideline.'' Kids in Spain will get their first fresh air in weeks when a ban on letting them outside is relaxed starting Sunday
• Germans protest against lockdown: German police arrested dozens of protesters in Berlin for flouting the coronavirus lockdown measures they were demonstrating against. About 1,000 people turned out for the rally, which has become a weekly event in the German capital. The protest organisers' website called for "an end to the state of emergency" and played down the threat posed by the virus.
• French PM to present plan to unwind coronvirus lockdown: French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will present the government's plan to unwind the country's coronavirus lockdown to parliament on Tuesday, followed by a debate and vote, his office said in a statement. The lockdown ordered by President Emmanuel Macron to slow the spread of the virus has been in place since March 17 and is due to be lifted on May 11.
• UK's Boris Johnson back to work tomorrow: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be back at work on Monday, after having recovered from a case of coronavirus that sent him to intensive care for three nights in early April. Johnson will take back control of a government under pressure from the economic fallout of shutdowns aimed at curbing the spread of the highly infectious virus, as well as a rising death toll.

At a time when the flights are flying due to the lockdown, SpiceJet flew Asian Games Gold Medallist Dingko Singh for his cancer treatment from Imphal to Delhi. The airline provided the air ambulance service free of charge to the Padma awardee. The decision to fly Dingko to Delhi was taken by SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh who is also the President of the Boxing Federation of India to help him resume his treatment for liver cancer.

Miss your daily morning newspaper? No worries, here are the top stories from The Sunday Express. You can also read our coverage on coronavirus pandemic with expert analysis on our epaper, here (The paywall is lifted for now) 

• Centre revises Centre’s guidelines: Late Friday night, as the Centre issued orders allowing shops and markets in rural areas and stand-alone shops in urban areas to open for sale of even non-essential items for the first time since the COVID-19 lockdown, states reacted with caution. As confusion prevailed over its exemptions given to certain category of shops across the country on Friday, the MHA issued multiple clarifications on Saturday to clear the air. Deeptiman Tiwary explains the confusion
• Before PM meeting with CMs, a signal: After May 3, districts with zero COVID-19 cases should be opened up with strict implementation of social distancing and full systemic preparedness for contact tracing in containment zones, if and when infections are detected. All eyes are now on the videoconference Monday between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief ministers that is expected to shape the broad contours of the roadmap ahead.
• What’s on migrants' plate?: For many of the migrants stuck in camps amidst the lockdown, home is often hundreds of kilometres away, a separation made worse by the lack of familiar food. Amidst protests over food in Surat, Kochi and elsewhere, The Sunday Express tells their stories over their meals in a day
• Lockdown extension in Mumbai? The Maharashtra government is likely to extend the second phase of the lockdown until May 15 in coronavirus hotspots Mumbai and Pune. Sources said the government is in favour of allowing most activities in rural areas, especially in green and orange zones, to resume from May 4. On Saturday, Maharashtra recorded the biggest single-day spike in confirmed cases reported – 811. 
• What's behind Gujarat's high death rate: Gujarat’s high fatality rate could be due to the significant presence of L strain of coronavirus over the S strain, said Dr Atul Patel, infectious disease specialist at the Sterling hospital, which is one of the three private hospitals in Gujarat designated to treat COVID-19 patients.

Good morning, welcome to the live blog on coronavirus pandemic. India's cases are close to 25,000, while the global death toll has crossed 2 lakh. Follow this space to track the latest news from India and across the globe

Bahraich police have registered an FIR against a couple, their son and 20 others for organising a “wedding anniversary party” for the son in violation of the lockdown, after which the 54-year-old woman tested for coronavirus.

The case was filed at the Daring Sharif police station against the woman, her husband, son and a nephew, apart from unidentified guests who attended the party on April 19. (Read more)

Gujarat’s high fatality rate could be due to the significant presence of L strain of coronavirus over the S strain, said Dr Atul Patel, infectious disease specialist at the Sterling hospital, which is one of the three private hospitals in Gujarat designated to treat COVID-19 patients.

In Kerala the mortality rate was low because most of the patients came from Dubai which has the milder S strain, said Patel at a media interaction presided over by chief minister Vijay Rupani and deputy chief minister Nitin Patel on Saturday that began with a presentation on the state’s handling of the corona virus, in comparison to other states and countries. (Read more)

As many as 104 coronavirus deaths of total 179 recorded by the BMC till Friday evening are from Mumbai’s slums and chawls. That is 58 per cent of the total deaths in Mumbai, so far.

G-south ward, which has the highest number of COVID-19 cases, has recorded 20 deaths from slums and chawls. G-south, which covers the congested Worli-Koilwada, Jijamata Nagar slum in Worli Naka and BDD Chawls, had 534 positive cases till April 23. (Read more)

Morning! 

Welcome to our LIVE blog on the coronavirus. For latest updates on virus outbreak, follow this space.