Coronavirus Pandemic Live Updates: No New Cases Reported from 90% Containment Zones of Delhi, Says Health Minister; Maharashtra Covid-19 Tally at 9,318

Concerns Raised Over Malaysia Lockdown Penalties | Malaysian lawyers and an international rights group have voiced concern over what they say is excessive sentencing of violators of the country's coronavirus lockdown. Malaysia, which has confirmed 5,851 cases and 100 deaths from COVID-19, has arrested more than 21,000 people since a partial lockdown began March 8. Violators face a fine or a jail term of up to six months, reports the Associated Press. It's not clear how many people have been imprisoned, but a number have been handed jail sentences ranging from a few days to several months.

Tokyo Governor Calls to Extend State of Emergency | Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike today called for an extension of Japan's nationwide state of emergency, which requests people to stay home and social distance, to stem the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. "Tokyo is still facing a serious situation and so I would like to have it go on longer," she told reporters. She noted reported daily cases of COVID-19 in Tokyo have topped 100 people recently. Japan has had about 400 deaths so far nationwide, 100 of them in Tokyo.

UN Council Silent on Venezuela, EU Members Warn of Virus Risks | The UN Security Council took no action after discussing the humanitarian situation in Venezuela behind closed doors on Tuesday but its European Union members said the coronavirus pandemic "risks having a devastating human impact in a country grappling with an already grave economic, social and humanitarian situation." A statement by France, Germany, Belgium, Estonia and former council member Poland reiterated EU concerns "about the sharply deteriorating crisis in Venezuela and its destabilizing effects across the region, including its severe humanitarian consequences."

China Embassy Accuses Australia of 'Petty Tricks' in Coronavirus Dispute | China accused Australia of "petty tricks" today in an intensifying dispute over Canberra's push for an international inquiry into the coronavirus outbreak that could affect diplomatic and economic ties between the countries, reports Reuters. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his proposed inquiry into how the coronavirus developed and spread would not be targeted at China but was needed given COVID-19 had killed more than 200,000 people and shut down much of the global economy.

Coronavirus Cases in Pakistan Rises to 14,885, Death Toll at 327 | Pakistan's coronavirus cases have climbed to 14,885 while the death toll from the pandemic has reached 327 with 26 more fatalities, the health ministry said today. According to the Ministry of National Health Services, 3,425 people have recovered from the contagion while 129 were still in critical condition, reports PTI. The ministry said that Punjab has reported 5,827, Sindh 5,291, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 2,160, Balochistan 915, Gilgit-Baltistan 330, Islamabad 297 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 65 cases.

No New Cases Reported from 90% of Delhi's Containment Zones: Health Minister | Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain told News18 that "No new cases were reported from 90% of containment zones in Delhi amid the outbreak."

UP Government Denies Fault in Purchase of PPE Kits | The Uttar Pradesh government has clarified that no irregularities had been committed in procurement of PPE kits that were supplied to doctors and para-medical staff of government medical colleges across the state, after start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Additional chief secretary Avanish Kumar Awasthi said 3,500 PPE kits worth Rs 3.5 lakh were purchased in October 2019 by the Uttar Pradesh Medical Supply Corporation for doctors and para-medical staff treating the H1N1/SARS patients in medical colleges. "After the purchase of kits for protection from coronavirus, the state government withdrew all H1N1/SARS kits that were dispatched to medical colleges earlier" adding that the old kits were purchased at the rate of Rs 115 per kit whereas the kits for protection from the new virus are now being purchased at Rs 1,086 per kit

Andhra Pradesh Reports 73 New Coronavirus Cases, Total Climbs to 1,332 | Data provided by the department of health and family welfare in Andhra Pradesh reveals that the state recorded 73 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of cases to 1,332.  

Indian Navy Readies Warships for Evacuating Stranded Gulf Citizens | The Indian Navy is readying its Landing Platform Dock warship INS Jalashwa and two Magar class amphibious warships for evacuating stranded Indian citizens from Gulf countries amid the coronavirus outbreak, reports ANI. While the INS Jalashwa is based out of Visakhapatnam, the Magar class warships are on the western seaboard. "The warships are on standby mode and would be ready to move after the orders are issued," officials said. 

Washington: When law enforcement agencies want to gather evidence locked inside an iPhone, they often turn to hacking software from the Israeli firm Cellebrite.

US Economy to Have Contracted at its Sharpest Pace Since Great Recession | The US economy likely contracted in the first quarter at its sharpest pace since the Great Recession as stringent measures to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus almost shut down the country, ending the longest expansion in the nation's history, reports Reuters. The anticipated decline in gross domestic product (GDP) will reflect a plunge in economic activity in the last two weeks of March, which saw millions of Americans seeking unemployment benefits. The Commerce Department's snapshot of first-quarter GDP on Wednesday will reinforce analysts' predictions that the economy was already in a deep recession.

AIIMS Planning to Conduct Clinical Trial of Plasma Therapy | The All India Institute Of Medical Sciences is planning to conduct a clinical trial of the convalescent plasma therapy in the treatment of COVID-19 and modalities of taking approvals from the Drug Controller General of India are being worked out. AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria said the mode of treatment in COVID-19 is still at an "experimental stage" and there is a need for good and well conducted research trials before its benefit and this mode of therapy can be recommended for routine use in coronavirus patients, reports PTI. 

11 Traders Linked to Delhi's Azadpur Vegetable Market Test Positive | About 11 traders associated with Delhi's Azadpur vegetable market have tested positive for coronavirus today. "We are tracing the contacts of the cases. They are not directly connected to the mandi," clarified District Magistrate (North) Deepak Shinde

Only 3 Out of 529 Media Persons in Delhi Test Positive, Kejriwal Wishes Speedy Recovery | Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said that he is "happy to share that "only 3 out of 529 media persons tested have been detected positive." "My best wishes to all of you. Your work is very important especially during a pandemic. Those who have been detected positive, I am praying for your speedy recovery," he said. 

Am so happy to share only 3 out of 529 media persons tested have been detected positive. My best wishes to all of you. Your work is very important esp during a pandemic. Those who have been detected positive, I am praying for your speedy recovery

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 29, 2020

Tamil Nadu Holds High Level Meeting to Review Virus Response | Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam are chairing a meeting with District Collectors of the state through video conference, to review the cpromavirus response in the state. 

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam hold meeting with District Collectors of the state through video conference, to review the #COVID19 situation. pic.twitter.com/AnPefYEZTZ

— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2020

Maharashtra Covid-19 Tally Reaches 9,318, Death Toll Now at 400 | Maharashtra reported 729 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, taking the state's tally to 9,318, a health official told PTI. The state also reported 31 more deaths due to the disease, raising the toll to 400, he said. With this, Maharashtra COVID-19 figures includes 1,388 discharged, 7,530 active cases and 1,29,931 people tested for the disease.

The remains are not in a mortuary but in police custody, Gulshan said. Due to the lockdown, she is unable to come to Delhi to expedite the process.

Hospitals Practicing ‘Untouchability’, Claim Health Workers on Covid-19 Duty | Health workers, the mainstay of India's workforce that Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed as 'warriors' fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, employed in government hospitals across the capital, claim they're being discriminated against and exposed to great dangers in the line of duty. Read More Here

India Recorded 73 Deaths,1,897 New Cases in 24 Hours | Latest figures released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare indicated that the country confirmed 1,897 cases and 73 deaths in the past 24 hours, making it the sharpest increase in death toll due to the outbreak. 

Road Accidents Dip in Gujarat During Lockdown | Road accidents in Gujarat came down by 71 per cent during the coronavirus-enforced lockdown as compared to normal days, according to an analysis by an emergency services agency. From about 398 daily cases of accidents in normal times, the number fell to 115 during the lockdown period, says the study conducted by GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) that operates the free 108 ambulance service in the state.

South Korea Reports 9 New Coronavirus Cases | South Korea reported nine new cases of coronavirus today, according to the South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among the new cases, five are imported. The country has reported that two more people died from coronavirus, raising the national death toll to 246.

Coronavirus Cases in Rajasthan Rises to 2,383 After 19 Fresh Cases | Health officials today confirmed that the total number of positive cases reached 2,383 after 19 new cases were reported in 12 hours in Rajasthan. Authorities said 11 patients were from Ajmer, five from Jaipur, one each from Jodhpur, Udaipur and Banswara. The state has 584 discharges and the death toll stands at 52. 

Portals of Kedarnath Temple Opens Amid Lockdown; 1st Puja Performed on Behalf of PM | The portals of the Kedarnath temple were opened today with the first puja performed on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and only members of the shrine's committee and administrative officials attending it amid the COVID-19 lockdown. The doors of the eleventh jyotirlinga at Kedarnath in the Garhwal Himalayas were opened at 6.10 am. The temple was decorated in a grand way with 10 quintals of flowers, temple committee officials said.  The portals of the four famous Himalayan shrines — Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri — are opened every year between April and May after a six-month closure during which they remain completely snowbound.   

New York Coronavirus Hospitalisations Drop to Month Low: Cuomo | New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that new hospitalisations for the novel coronavirus dropped to a one-month low and laid out a plan to employ thousands of case investigators under criteria for reopening his state. The three-day rolling average of the number of people newly hospitalized for COVID-19 fell to 953 in New York on Monday, Cuomo said, adding that intubations and total hospitalisations also fell. It was the first time new hospitalisations dropped below the 1,000 level since March 24, reports Reuters. An additional 335 New Yorkers died on Monday, about 100 fewer than the level three days ago.

California Plans to Reopen Some Retail, Manufacturing Within Weeks | California curbside retail, manufacturing and other "lower-risk workplaces" should reopen within weeks as coronavirus testing and tracing improves, Governor Gavin Newsom was reported as saying by Reuters. Non-essential businesses like offices where remote work is not possible and childcare facilities would be in the first phase of reopening, along with some parks, state health officer Sonia Angell told a news briefing. (Image: AP)

Kenya's dusk-to-dawn curfew went into effect nationwide on March 27 in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus, which has so far killed 14 people in the country.

India's Serum Institute to Make Millions of Potential Covid-19 Vaccine Doses | The Serum Institute of India on Tuesday said that it plans to produce up to 60 million doses of a potential vaccine against the new coronavirus that is under clinical trial in Britain.Serum, the world’s largest maker of vaccines by volume, is mass-producing the vaccine candidate developed by the University of Oxford, which started testing it on humans last week, and is a leader in the global race to develop an antidote to the novel coronavirus, reports Reuters. 

Biden Wins Ohio's Mail-in Primary Delayed by Coronavirus | Joe Biden won Ohio’s presidential primary, clinching a contest that was less about the Democratic nomination and more about how states can conduct elections in the era of the coronavirus. The primary was the first major test of statewide elections via mail amid an outbreak, reports the Associated Press. 

Around 98 per cent of Americans said they would not try to inject themselves with bleach or other disinfectants if they got the coronavirus, including 98 per cent of Democrats and 98 per cent of Republicans.

Global Coronavirus Cases Rises to 3.1 Million, Death Toll at 217,000 | Covid-19 has infected more than 3.1 million across the world people and killed at least 217,000, according to Johns Hopkins University tally.