Coronavirus Live Updates: Positive Cases Mount To 21,393 In India, Death Toll Reaches 681

The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 681 and the number of cases climbed to 21,393 in India on Wednesday, registering an increase of 49 deaths and 1,486 cases since last evening, according to the Union health ministry. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 15,859. While 3,959 people have been cured and discharged, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the United States has recorded 1,738 deaths from coronavirus in the last 24 hours, a lower toll than the day before, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University.

The new deaths bring the total number of COVID-19 fatalities in the US to 46,583 since the outbreak began there, by far the highest figures recorded by any country caught in the global pandemic.

Here are all the live updates:

12:59 PM:  Sixteen new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Karnataka, taking the total number of infections in the state to 443, the Health department said on Thursday.

12:42 PM:  The total cases of COVID-19 in the country, including 77 foreign nationals, mounted to 21393, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday. 681 people have lost their lives so far due to the disease.

12:35 PM: Bangladesh has extended its nationwide lockdown till May 5 as part of measures to stem the spread of coronavirus pandemic, local media reported on Thursday.

11:54 AM:  States will get weakened unless central government comes forward to financially help them fight against COVID-19, says Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot.

11:49 AM: "Success of lockdown is to be judged finally on our ability to tackle Coronavirus. Cooperation between the Centre & states is key to the success of our fight against COVID," Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh at CWC meetin.

11:46 AM:  People coming to Beijing from abroad must undergo one week of additional quarantine, besides the two weeks period that was mandatory until now due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to authorities in the Chinese capital.

11:45 AM:  Four more patients in Jharkhand have recovered from COVID-19, said the state Health Department. The total number of cured patients in the state now stands at eight.

10:40 AM:  Forty-seven more people were confirmed positive for coronavirus in Rajasthan on Thursday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 1,935, officials said. The fresh cases include 20 from Jodhpur, 12 from Jaipur, 10 from Nagaur, two each from Kota and Hanumangarh and one from Ajmer, they said.

10:20 AM: After four people recovered from COVID-19 in Moga, the district has become coronavirus free, informed KBS Sidhu, Special Chief Secretary, Punjab on Thursday.

9:47 AM: Death toll due to COVID-19 climbs to 681; number of cases rise to 21,393, says Health Ministry.

9:45 AM: People of Indian origin in the UK have emerged as the worst affected ethnic group from the coronavirus pandemic, according to an official data on COVID-19 deaths in hospitals across England.