As world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, the Union Health Ministry on Sunday said there were 110 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India. Reports from States, however, put the figure of persons testing positive for COVID-19 at 115. Of the new cases two were from Maharashtra, two from Kerala and one each from Rajasthan, Karnataka, Telangana and Uttarakhand. Ten persons have so far been discharged after treatment. Globally more than 162,000 are infected and over 6,000 have died.
COVID-19 | Interactive map of confirmed coronavirus cases in India
We have been covering the developments related to the coronavirus pandemic as it unfolded. Here are answers from experts on your queries about the virus, a list of State Helpline numbers, and a map of confirmed cases in India.
Here are the latest updates:
Four new positive COVID-19 cases have been reported from Maharashtra. This includes three in Mumbai and one in Navi Mumbai.
The total count in the State now stands at 37.
Bangladesh tour of Pakistan cricket team postponed indefinitely
The Pakistan and Bangladesh cricket boards decided to postpone the upcoming One-Day International and Test in Karachi indefinitely amid the COVID-19 pandemic which has derailed sporting calendars globally.
Bangladesh were due to arrive in Karachi on March 29 to play an ODI on April 1 and the second ICC World Test Championship Test from April 9-5.
“The two boards will now work together to identify a future opportunity to complete the ICC World Test Championship commitment,” the PCB said in a statement.
Here is a list of global sports events affected due to coronavirus outbreak.
Bihar Assembly’s Budget session truncated in view of coronavirus pandemic. No sittings after today, says Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary.
Trump calls on Americans to cease hoarding food, supplies
President Donald Trump called on people to stop hoarding groceries and other supplies as one of the nation’s most senior public health officials urged Americans to act with more urgency to protect themselves and others against the coronavirus.
"You don’t have to buy so much,” Trump said at a news conference. “Take it easy. Just relax.”
Trump assured Americans, after speaking with leading grocery chain executives, that grocers would remain open and that the supply chain remained healthy. Speaking at the same White House news conference, Vice President Mike Pence urged Americans to buy only the groceries they need for the week ahead.
- AP
Life in the time of corona...
Despite lockdown, the week starts as usual in Mumbai. Daily commuters at Borivali station to catch the local trains on Monday, March 16, 2020. | Photo Credit: Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury
Daily commuters wears a mask in a bid to stay away from infections while travelling in a crowded Mumbai local train on Monday in Thane. | Photo Credit: Vibhav Birwatkar
'Most airlines will be bankrupt by May unless there is coordinated govt-industry action'
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, most airlines in the world will be bankrupt by the end of May and only a coordinated government and industry action right now can avoid the catastrophe, said global aviation consultancy firm CAPA in a note.
“As the impact of the coronavirus and multiple government travel reactions sweep through our world, many airlines have probably already been driven into technical bankruptcy, or are at least substantially in breach of debt covenants,” it stated.
Across the world, airlines have announced drastic reduction in their operations in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. For example, Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines stated on Sunday that it would be grounding 300 aircraft in its fleet and reduce flights by 40%.
- PTI
Thermal screening of lawyers, litigants, scribes at Supreme Court
Lawyers, litigants and media personnels were thermal-screened in the Supreme Court amid coronavirus scare.
The top court, which has taken several precautionary measures in wake of the pandemic has allowed only restricted entry of lawyers, litigants and journalists in the courtroom.
Long queues were seen at the entry gate with health officials thermal screening the lawyers, litigants and journalists.
There was also confusion among the officials as to who should be allowed inside the premises and the courtroom due to restricted entry. Only lawyers and litigants whose matters were listed for the day were allowed to enter the courtrooms.
Only six of the total 15 Benches of the apex court will be sitting and only 12 matters each will be taken up today.
- PTI
Health worker arrested in Rajasthan for spreading fake news about coronavirus
A health worker posted in Rajasthan’s Dausa district was arrested and his services were terminated for allegedly spreading fake news about the coronavirus, police said.
Anil Tank, a contractual employee who worked as a senior treatment supervisor in Mahuwa, was found circulating fake news related to positive number of COVID-19 cases being found in the State and isolation wards being set up to treat the patients, they said.
Mahuwa circle Deputy Superintendent of Police Shankar Lal said Tank was arrested for his “statement conducing to public mischief“.
Dausa Chief Medical and Health Officer Pooranmal Meena said, “The employee was terminated from the service for spreading rumour on social media.”
- PTI
Wonderla Holidays to temporarily close Hyderabad park
Amusement park operator Wonderla Holidays said it has decided to temporarily close its Hyderabad park from March 15 to 21 due to the rising coronavirus scare in Telangana.
“In view of the emerging situation in the State of Telangana, consequent to the reported coronavirus cases, the company has decided to temporarily close the Hyderabad park from 15-21 March, 2020,” it said in a filing to BSE.
The decision, it said, has been taken in accordance with the safety and pre-cautionary guidelines outlined by the State government to prevent and contain the spread of COVID-19.
- PTI
Colleges in Tamil Nadu begin declaring summer holidays
Even as the government passed an order, declaring holiday for kindergarten and primary school students across the State from Monday until the end of the month in view of the COVID-19 epidemic, colleges too began declaring holiday in order to make sure students were safe.
SRM Institute of Science and Technology and VIT, Vellore have declared summer vacation for their students. While SRMIST has closed the Institute up to March 31 and a detailed circular will be up on the institute’s website on Monday afternoon, VIT has advanced its summer vacation.
Political parties in Bengal call for postponement of civic polls
The major political parties in West Bengal have urged the State Election Commission to postpone the upcoming civic polls in the State.
The State Election Commission has called a meeting on Monday with political parties to discuss the issue.
"In the wake of such a crisis, we will appeal to the State Election Commission to defer the upcoming municipal elections. In fighting this, academician, political parties must stand together shoulder to shoulder with the people we represent," a statement from Trinamool Congress said.
State's BJP president Dilip Ghosh said that in the wake of the crisis the party would support a decision of deferring the polls. "We are ready for polls, but in the wake of this crisis, if for the larger interest of the people, the State government and SEC takes a decision, we will support it," Mr. Ghosh said.
Leadership of Left and Congress parties, which are likely to contest the polls together are also willing to support the deferring of the polls.
Earlier, Andhra Pradesh too decided to postpone the local body polls by 6 weeks due to COVID-19 threat.
James Bond actor Olga Kurylenko tests positive for coronavirus
Ukrainian-born actor-model Olga Kurylenko has revealed that she has tested positive for COVID-19.
Olga Kurylenko | Photo Credit: Dan Steinberg
The actor, best known for starring in 2008’s James Bond film Quantum of Solace and 2013’s sci-fi movie Oblivion, took to Instagram on Sunday to share her diagnosis.
Kurylenko, 40, said she had been ill for “almost a week”.
“Locked up at home after having tested positive for Coronavirus,” she wrote alongside a photo showing a view through a window.
“I’ve actually been ill for almost a week now. Fever and fatigue are my main symptoms. Take care of yourself and do take this seriously!” she added.
Sensex tanks over 2,000 points in global equity carnage; Nifty gives up 9,400
Equity benchmark Sensex plummeted over 2,000 points and the Nifty gave up the 9,400 level in opening session on Monday after the Federal Reserve’s rate cut fanned concerns over the impact of COVID-19 on world economy.
The rupee too depreciated 41 paise to 74.16 against U.S. dollar in morning session.
Resuming its downward spiral, domestic BSE Sensex sank 2004.20 points or 5.88% to 32,099.28 in morning session. Similarly, the NSE Nifty cracked 596.25 points, or 5.99%, to 9,358.95.
According to traders, volatility heightened in global markets as U.S. Federal Reserve’s interest rate cut stoked concerns over an impending economic recession.
How Kerala managed to halt a take-off to isolate COVID-19 positive tourist
For the district administration, it was a race against time on Sunday to stop the Emirates flight bound for Dubai, which was to carry a UK national, who tested positive for COVID-19.
According to the district administration, the news of the British national being at the Cochin International Airport was received by District Collector S. Suhas only 15 minutes before the flight was to take off. Swift action followed to ensure that the tourist was isolated and others at risk evacuated.
By the time instructions were issued to hold the flight, all the crew had boarded the plane, but the race was won in time to ensure that a crisis-like situation was avoided.
After doctor tests positive, SCTIMST heads for shutdown
Patient-care activities at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) is on the verge of a shutdown after several senior doctors and an unknown number of health-care personnel and patients were exposed to the SARS CoV-2 from a doctor colleague of theirs who had returned from Spain and had been working amongst them.
The said case had been officially declared as positive for COVID-19 by the Health Minister on Sunday evening, without divulging details.
Fourth batch of 53 Indians evacuated from Iran: Jaishankar
A fourth batch of 53 Indians returned to India from Iran on Monday, taking the total number of people evacuated from the coronavirus-hit country to 389.
Workers unload the luggage of Indian nationals evacuated from Iran at Jaisalmer Military Station. | Photo Credit: PTI
This comes a day after over 230 Indians were brought back from Iran to New Delhi and quarantined at the Indian Army Wellness Centre in Jaisalmer, the third batch to be evacuated from that country.
“Fourth batch of 53 Indians - 52 students and a teacher - has arrived from Tehran and Shiraz, Iran. With this, a total of 389 Indians have returned to India from Iran. Thank the efforts of the team @India_in_Iran and Iranian authorities,” Jaishankar tweeted.
Dos and don'ts from the Health Ministry
With several new cases of COVID-19 being confirmed in India, the Health Ministry has stepped up efforts to check the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
Here's a video on how we can protect ourselves and others, a list of dos and dont's released by the Health Ministry.
New York bars, restaurants to be take-out only: mayor
New York ordered all its bars and restaurants to close except for take-outs, in the latest dramatic shutdown as authorities worldwide struggle to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.
“I will sign an Executive Order limiting restaurants, bars and cafes to food take-out and delivery,” city mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement, calling for “a wartime mentality.”
“Nightclubs, movie theaters, small theater houses, and concert venues must all close.” New York has already banned gatherings of more than 500 people, including in Broadway theatres.
- AFP
Odisha reports first case as student who returned from Italy tests positive
A student who returned from Italy and belonging to the city tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday — the first reported case in Odisha.
After tests conducted at the Regional Medical Research Centre confirmed the case, the student is being kept under observation in an isolated ward in Capital Hospital here.
His father and domestic help have also been kept in isolation and their blood and swab have been sent for test.
Testing is the easiest thing to do, says community health expert
Gagandeep Kang, Director of the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, who has extensive experience in working on community health and played a key role in developing an indigenous rotavirus vaccine, says India should be testing many more persons for symptoms of COVID-19 than it is now.
"As a first step, India has been tracing importations (cases with a travel history from abroad). We are now beginning to test for influenza-like illnesses through the influenza surveillance network. We are told that about 150-250 samples were tested in February by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and in the coming week they are going to be doing moreof that testing. Singapore went about finding cases and tracking them. Finding contacts and tracing was the best step. South Korea expanded drive-through testing. After a while people started to present themselves for testing. It was made easy for people to get tested. We are in a situation now that if you land up at a private hospital with what absolutely fits the case definition, you will be referred to a government hospital. There are media reports that some in Tamil Nadu are being turned away even if they have symptoms and a travel history," says Ms. Kang.
Italian architect behind world stadiums dies of virus at 92
Vittorio Gregotti, an Italian architect who helped design the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics stadium, died on Sunday at the age of 92 after catching the novel coronavirus, Italian media said.
Gregotti died of pneumonia after being hospitalised in Milan having contracted COVID-19, the the Corriere della Sera newspaper and AGI news agency reported.
He also designed the Merassi stadium in Genoa for the 1990s World Cup in Italy, and the Arcimboldi Opera Theatre in Milan, a futuristic structure built to allow the season to continue while the La Scala underwent renovation in 2002-2004.
Other highlights of a career that also saw him build a housing district in Shanghai include the Belem cultural centre in Portugal and the Grand Theatre de Provence in France.
Gregotti's wife Mariana Mazza has been hospitalised at the same Milan hospital, Corriere della Sera said, without providing details on why.
- AFP
Pope in dramatic visit to empty Rome to pray for end of virus
Pope Francis ventured into a deserted Rome on Sunday to pray at two shrines for the end of the coronavirus pandemic, as the Vatican said his Easter services will be held without the public for the first time.
Francis left the Vatican unannounced to pray at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and then walked along one of Rome's main streets to visit St. Marcello church to pray before a crucifix that was used in a procession when the plague hit Rome in 1522.
A Vatican statement said he prayed for an end to the pandemic and also for the sick, their families and health providers and workers keeping pharmacies and food stories open amid a national lockdown.
A Vatican picture showed the pope and a small security detail walking on an empty Via del Corso, which is usually packed with shoppers and people taking strolls on Sunday.
- Reuters
Data | India's coronavirus testing rates are among the lowest in the world
While most of China’s neighbours have been able to contain the spread of COVID-19, countries far from it are seeing an exponential surge in cases. Early testing and wider coverage distinguish such Asian countries from Western countries. However, India is dangerously placed as it has among the lowest testing rates.