Daily wager Naval Kishore and his family head back home to Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh, after they were evicted from their accommodation in Delhi over non-payment of rent. (Express photo/Tashi Tobgyal)
Coronavirus in India LIVE Updates: In the last 24 hours, India reported 1,913 cases of coronavirus, taking the total number in the country to 35,043 on Friday, including 1,147 deaths, the Union Health Ministry said. Maharashtra recorded the highest number of infections, nearly 10,500, followed by Gujarat (4,395) and Delhi (3,515). With the lockdown set to end in two days, the Centre divided districts in the country into ‘red’, ‘orange’ and ‘green’ zones as per the doubling rate and number of cases. At least 130 districts are in the red zone, 284 in orange and 319 in green. (Here is the full list)
Metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai and Ahmedabad are in the red zone. The government said it could be possible to relax restrictions in red and orange zones.
It also issued an order allowing movement of stranded migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and others by special trains operated by the Railways Ministry. The first such train carrying about 1,000 migrant labourers left Telangana’s Lingampally at 6 am this morning and will reach Hatia in Jharkhand at 11 pm. At least 1,000 workers will leave Aluva in Kerala this evening and head for Bhuvaneshwar in Odisha.
In other news, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat , along with the three service chiefs, will address the press at 6 pm.
Meanwhile, on the global front, the coronavirus has claimed at least over 233,000 lives and infected over 3.2 million people, according to a tally by John Hopkins University. The United States continues to be the worst-hit, with over 10,00,000 cases and 61,000 deaths.
Authorities across states have begun preparations to help lakhs of migrant workers.
As many as 8,372 have recovered from Covid-19 so far.
Aluva Railway station near Kochi from where a train carrying nearly 1200 migrant workers will depart for Bhubaneswar.
The government clarifies that classification of zones is done as per doubling rate and total cases. It is possible to relax restrictions outside the containment zone, in red and orange zones, Health Ministry, Joint Secretary, Lav Agarwal says.
The government has ordered 2.2 crore personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, of which 1.42 will be procured through domestic manufacturers, and 1.87 from abroad. The demand for PPE kits has been projected at 2.01 crore in India,PD Vaghela says during the Health Ministry briefing. "We are implementing Make in India in this sector. From zero Indian manufacturers there are now several of them," he adds.
The government has issued an order allowing movement of stranded migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and others by special trains operated by the Railways Ministry. The Ministry will soon issue detailed guidelines on sale of tickets. Social distancing and other measures will be observed at train stations, platforms and within trains.
The government there is demand for 75,000 ventilators for April, May and June. It has ordered 7,884 ventilators from abroad, while the rest will be manufactured by domestic companies. "So far, ventilator use in India has been limited. Enough oxygen production in the country," says P D Vaghela, Secretary. "We manufacture 6,700 metric ton oxygen of which 1,000 metric ton in medical oxygen."
The daily health ministry briefing is underway. Joint Secretary, Health Ministry, Lav Agarwal says 1,913 cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases to 35,043. The recovery rate is 25.37 per cent.
At least 90 troops of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) have been quarantined after five personnel test positive for Covid-19, according to news agency PTI. Meanwhile, ANI is reporting that 12 more Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans have tested positive, taking the total number in the to over 60.
The HRD Ministry is likely to soon issue guidelines for schools and colleges, which will be followed once they reopen. New seating arrangements, staggered classes, separate canteens and new library rules could be part of the plan to limit interaction between students in the wake of Covid-19. According to a PTI report, social distancing norms will be enforced to ensure health and safety of students.
The coronavirus pandemic is likely to last two years and won't be controlled until about two-thirds of the global population builds immunity against it, according to the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. It also states people may be at their most infectious before symptoms appear. Read more on their report here.
The first batch of 1,200 migrants, returning to Jharkhand from Telangana, will reach Hatia at 11 pm. They had boarded the train at 6 am this morning. Upon arrival, they will be screened before boarding buses to their respective districts, where they will be quarantined.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and three service chiefs will hold a press conference on important issues at 6 pm this evening
With the government exploring modalities for relaxations after May 3, when the nationwide lockdown is scheduled to end, the Union Health Ministry has issued a revised of districts under red, orange and green zones. A total of 130 districts across the country have been placed in the red zone, while 284 and 319 districts have been identified as orange and green zones, respectively. Click here to see which zone your city falls in.
Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi today hit out at the Centre over the "mismanagement of migrant labourers" amid the lockdown. "The Centre has mercilessly and without second thought abandoned the entire category of migrant labourers. The 'fiscal injection' especially designed for labour class is the need of the hour. The mismanagement of migrant labourers shows the approach this govt has adopted towards poor of country," he said.
Migrants working in the Kashmir Valley are crossing snow covered areas of Pir Panjal Mountain range to reach their home towns amid the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Watch video here:
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari today said that the biggest challenge before the state government was to free the state from the coronavirus pandemic and improve its economic growth rate. In his televised address on the 60th foundation day of Maharashtra, Koshyari said the government was doing its best to deal with these two issues. In his speech made in Marathi, Koshyari appealed to the people to follow the protocol of social distancing, lockdown rules and all safety precautions. He sought support and cooperation of citizens to achieve the goal of making the state strong and prosperous, and freeing it from the coronavirus pandemic at the earliest. The governor paid tributes to the martyrs of the Sanyukta Maharashtra movement. "Maharashtra is stepping into the 61st year of its existence in the backdrop of a different kind of war. The state is fighting this war with strong determination. It has a tradition of fighting against all odds and winning," he said.
The Ministry of Railways has also directed its respective zones to consider the demands from the various states. While Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have given the green signal for inter-state travel of migrants, an order from the Bihar government is awaited. More migrants special trains are expected to run today. However, no trains will be allowed to move out from Mumbai and Pune, two major Covid-19 zones in Maharashtra.
Another train is expected to leave from Aluva in Kerala to Bhubaneswar in Odisha today while some are expected to leave from Kozhikode and Trivandrum tomorrow. An official order from the railways is yet to arrive. The state plans to bring back the stranded migrants only after screening them. Around 1,000 migrants are expected to board the train today.
A Congress MLA in Rajasthan has written to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, seeking reopening of liquor shops across the state amid the nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. In his letter, Sangod MLA Bharat Singh Kundanpur has argued that the consumption of alcohol may remove the virus from the throat. “When alcohol can wash coronavirus off hands, it will dislodge the virus from booze guzzlers’ throats as well,” the letter to the chief minister read.
Rajasthan recorded three more coronavirus deaths on Friday, while 33 fresh cases of the virus were reported, an official said. Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rohit Kumar Singh said while two people died in Jaipur, one died in Nagaur. The death toll due to the virus in the state has climbed to 61. Jaipur alone has reported 34 deaths. As many as 33 new cases, including 11 in Ajmer, seven each in Chittorgarh and Kota, six in Jaipur and one each in Jodhpur and Rajsamand have been reported, the Health Department official said. The state now has 2,617 confirmed cases of COVID-19, out of which 644 have been discharged from hospitals. There are 1,656 active cases, Singh said.
A 35-year old woman booked and arrested by Sangrur police for alleged drug peddling tested positive for coronavirus Thursday late. She was arrested by Amargarh police of Sangrur and sent to Ludhiana Women’s Jail on April 28.
However before being lodged at Ludhiana Women’s Jail, she underwent medical check-up and was tested for coronavirus. She tested positive and has been admitted at Civil Hospital Ludhiana. An FIR against her was registered at Amargarh police station of Sangrur under the sections 21/29/61 and 85 of the NDPS Act. Sangrur SSP Sandeep Garg said that as per orders, Ludhiana women’s jail has been designated for new entrants to handle COVID pandemic and hence the woman did not enter Sangrur jail. He said she was directly sent to Ludhiana women’s jail.
“Five of our policemen including an ASI, head constables and constables who came in contact with her have been quarantined and will be tested,” said SSP.