Coronavirus Pandemic LIVE Updates: Lockdown Intensified in Chennai, Coimbatore for 4 Days, Cases in India Cross 23,000-Mark

Global Coronavirus Death Toll Hits 1.9 Lakh-mark | The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus pandemic crossed 190,000 on Friday, with nearly two-thirds of the fatalities in Europe, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources

Goa CM In Mapusa OPD | Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant today volunteered to join the team of Doctors at OPD of the District Hospital Mapusa on his birthday amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Germany's Business Morale Crashes | German business morale crashed in April in its most dramatic fall on record and hit its lowest reading since reunification as the coronavirus crisis takes a heavy toll on Europe's largest economy.

Goa Coronavirus Update | Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said the government will provide all necessary infrastructure, including thermal guns and screening devices, to industries to fully resume their operations in the state.

Emirati Police Deploy Smart Tech in Coronavirus Fight | Police in the United Arab Emirates are deploying smart helmets that can scan the temperatures of hundreds of people every minute in their effort to combat the new coronavirus. (Image: Reuters)

In Salem, Tiruppur for 3 Days | Tamil Nadu announces intensified lockdown in five municipalities. In Salem and Tiruppur, the coronavirus lockdown will be implemented for three days.

Tamil Nadu Announces Intense Lockdown for 5 Municipalities | Tamil Nadu announces intensified lockdown in five municipalities including Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai. Intensified lockdown to be in effect for four days starting April 26.

Coronavirus in India State Wise Update: J&K | Curbs to contain the spread of coronavirus were intensified in Kashmir on Friday after reports of lockdown violations at several places, officials said. Jammu and Kashmir has recorded 434 cases of the virus, even as five patients have died and 92 recovered.

Africa Behind in Global Race for Coronavirus Gear | As Africa braces for a surge in coronavirus cases, its countries are dangerously behind in the global race for scarce medical equipment. Ten nations have no ventilators at all.

UP Coronavirus Update | Twenty-five doctors and medical personnel in quarantine in a state-run school in Uttar Pradesh have been shifted to a guest house after they complained of poor facilities in several videos that later went viral.

Indian Truckers Face Problems Amid Coronavirus Lockdown | Indian truck driver Arju Yadav says he was on a 30-40 km (20-25 mile) journey earlier this month to deliver a consignment of biscuits when he was stopped by police for defying a coronavirus lockdown, beaten and made to do sit-ups.

India May See 2nd Wave of Coronavirus in Monsoons: Study | The trajectory of Covid-19 cases could have plateaued and might even fall for some weeks after the lockdown is lifted but India is likely to see a second wave in late July or August with a surge in the number of cases during the monsoon, say scientists.

Chinese Diplomats Defend Coronavirus Response | From Asia to Africa, London to Berlin, Chinese envoys have set off diplomatic firestorms with a combative defense whenever their country is accused of not acting quickly enough to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Delhi CM on Coronavirus Plasma Therapy | Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said initial results of plasma therapy trial conducted on four Covid-19 patients is encouraging and gives hope to save people's lives from the dreaded disease. Read more here.

South Africa to Allow Partial Reopening of Lockdown | South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday the government will allow a partial reopening of the economy on May 1, with travel restrictions eased and some industries allowed to operate under a five-level risk system.

D P Jindal Group Donates Rs 2 Cr to PM Cares | D P Jindal Group on Friday said its employees have contributed Rs 2 crore towards PM-CARES Fund to fight against the deadly coronavirus pandemic in the country.

Funeral of Covid-19 Patient Held Amid Protests | The funeral of a 75-year-old woman, who died of the novel coronavirus disease, was held amid opposition from local people in Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, police said on Friday.

Crocodile Spotted in Canal in Telangana | A crocodile was spotted at Jurala left canal in Wanaparthy in Telangana. Since the coronavirus lockdown, areas around the globe have been witnessing animals slowly reclaiming spaces. (Image: News18)

RBI moratorium: 328 firms Seek Covid-19 Package |  A total of 328 companies from across sectors including the likes of Jindal Steel and Power Limited, JSW Steel Limited and Air India Express Limited, have applied for a moratorium on loan repayments from their lenders to seek the benefit from RBI’s COVID-19 relief package, revealed a document released by rating agency, ICRA, reports Moneycontrol.

Life in a Pandemic | A boy wears a face mask as carries a baguette while he walks home, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Pikine suburb of Dakar, Senegal. (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra)

IIT Professor Claims of 5-second Coronavirus Test | An IIT-Roorkee professor claims to have developed a software which can detect COVID-19 within five seconds using X-ray scan of the suspected patient.

Contract Tracing Illegal for Public: Australia | People other than authorised health officials will be banned by law from accessing data collected in government smartphone software to trace the contacts of people with the coronavirus, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday.

Indian Shares Fall Amid Coronavirus Worries | Indian shares fell over 1% on Friday, tracking weak global markets, after US data underscored the economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic and reports that an experimental drug to treat Covid-19 showed inconclusive results.

US Coronavirus Update | Fifteen-year-old Hita Gupta peps up hundreds of lonely Americans, including the elderly and children, marooned in nursing homes due to the Covid-19 lockdown by sending them gift packs and spirit-lifting notes. The 10th-grade Indian-American student from Pennsylvania's Conestoga High School has an NGO 'Brightening A Day' and is using it to spread love, hope and joy among America's nursing homes 

15-year-old Hita Gupta is delivering activity books to lonely nursing home residents: https://t.co/jbdlQRpi2I pic.twitter.com/33P8XxV8RZ

— GoFundMe (@gofundme) April 13, 2020

'Don't Believe Rumours': PM Modi | Prime Minister Narendra says that many practices already adopted in villages are good to adopt during this coronavirus crisis. "People should drink kadha, also look at Ayush Ministry's guidelines on this. People should also use Aarogya Setu mobile app," he says.

PM Modi During Coronavirus Address | "Respect, but also suspect. Do gaj ki doori. Cover your face, even a gamcha works," Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, issuing guidelines for people in villages to deal with coronavirus.

PM Modi's Panchayati Coronavirus Address | Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that today's interaction with sarpanchs of various panchayats from across the country must have provided inspiration to everyone across the country. "Even in this crisis, everyone is taking up initiatives. Mahatma Gandhi used to say, my vision of Swaraj is Gram Swaraj."

Australia Coronavirus Update: WHO | Australia's prime minister says his government will cooperate with like-minded countries to change the World Health Organisation. Australian agrees with the United States that the United Nation's agency needs to be reviewed, but Australia continues to support the agency's valuable work in the Pacific.

Coronavirus in India State Wise Update: Pune Deaths | A 61-year-old and a 40-year-old with co-morbid conditions who had tested positive for Covid-19 passed away in Pune last night; the total death toll in Pune district rises to 63, say Health Officials, Pune, ANI reports.

Ramzan Begins Amid Coronavirus Lockdown | Muslims around the world began marking Ramzan under coronavirus lockdown on Friday with unprecedented bans on family gatherings and mass prayers, while a pushback in some countries has sparked fears of a surge in infections.