A factory Worker at the Jhimil Colony industrial area holds a stop watch on Friday in New Delhi.
As the Centre extended the nationwide lockdown, for two weeks, starting May 4, the number of cases in India on Saturday crossed the 37,000 mark, taking the tally to 37,336. The toll stood at 1218 with 71 more deaths recorded in last 24-hours. The lockdown, which was initially planned for 21 days starting March 25, has now been extended for the third time.
The Union Home Ministry also issued a set of 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. 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. (Here is the full list)
While Maharashtra remains the worst- affected states with over 11,ooo deaths and 485 deaths, Kerala, for the first time in over one month, reported zero new cases of Coronavirus on Friday. Kerala, which was the first state in India to have Coronavirus patients, has seen the slowest rise in numbers in the last month among states with large caseloads. Right now it has 497 confirmed cases, and just three deaths. (
On the global front, the coronavirus has claimed at least over 235,000 lives and infected over 3.3 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 over 64,000 deaths.
Migrants in Nashik being taken back to their native places in buses. (Express Photo: Prashant Nadkar)
Panchkula's market at Sector 7 under lockdown. (Express photo)
With vehicles off the city roads and most industries shut for over a month due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, the air quality in Mumbai has improved significantly .
A study, ‘Impact of Lockdown (March 25 to April 19) on Air Quality’, undertaken by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) shows a sharp decrease of 77 per cent in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels and 59 per cent drop in average benzene (a hydrocarbon, C6H6) level during the lockdown period as compared to the weeks preceding it. In Mumbai, the Chembur-Trombay and Deonar areas, which have power plants, several petroleum refineries and a fertiliser factory, are considered hotspot for high NO2 levels. Lowest 24-hour average of NO2 levels during the lockdown period was 5 µg/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter air).
12 new positive cases of #COVID19 and 3 deaths have been reported today in Rajasthan taking the total number of cases to 2678 and 65 deaths. 1116 people have recovered while 714 have been discharged till date: Rajasthan Health Department.
Gilead Science Inc’s antiviral drug remdesivir was granted emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration for COVID-19 on Friday, clearing the way for broader use of the drug in more hospitals around the United States. During a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House with President Donald Trump, Gilead Chief Executive Daniel O’Day called the move an important first step and said the company was donating 1.5 million vials of the drug to help patients.
The donation is expected to be enough for at least 140,000 patients, depending on the number of days they need to be treated. Read more
With a new cluster of cases being reporting from Chennai linking to the Koyambedu vegetable market, the City Corporation has now identified four more high-risk zones. The Tamil Nadu government has stepped up restrictions in the market operations, banned all retail vendors from the market area to allow wholesale dealers alone. Of the 203 new cases reported on Friday, 176 were from Chennai, eight from Chengalpet and six from Tiruvallur, neighbouring districts of Chennai. As the city currently has 906 active Covid-19 cases and “98 per cent of these cases were asymptomatic” according to the Commissioner Prakash, the government was busy devising new strategies on Friday to contain the situation in city’s highly populated zones even as the situation across the state seemed under control. Read more
US President Donald Trump on Friday reiterated that imposing an additional tariff on China for allegedly mishandling the coronavirus outbreak is “certainly an option”. Trump was responding to a question about his remarks a day earlier in which he had indicated at imposing tariff on China as a punishment for the spread of coronavirus. “It’s certainly an option. It’s certainly an option,” Trump said but did not give a timeline for this.
The total number of cases in India crossed 37, 000 mark, taking the tally to 37,336. The toll stood at 1218 with 71 more deaths recorded in 24-hours. While the number of active cases stand at 26,167, the Ministry of Health and Framily Welfare updated that 9,950 people have been cured.
The implementation of the latest MHA guidelines will allow resumption of certain activities in Delhi, including opening private offices, delivery of public services such as issuance of birth, caste, income certificates, among others. However, with all 11 districts of Delhi classified as red zones, public transport, including buses, Metro, cabs, autos and e-rickshaws will be under complete lockdown at least until May 17. Every district in Delhi has containment zones, with most having active cases. So far, four zones have been de-sealed, including three in East Delhi, while 97 remain sealed. At 20, the maximum number of containment zones are in the Southeast district. The Northwest, with three, has the least.
The National capital reported 223 coronavirus cases onFriday, taking thetally to 3,738.The toll stoodat61, including two deaths being reported Friday.
The virus has killed more than 230,000 people worldwide, including over 64,000 in the US and more than 20,000 each in Italy, Britain, France and Spain, forcing lockdowns that have shuttered factories and businesses, thrown tens of millions out of work and throttled the world's economies. With the crisis stabilizing in Europe and in many places in the U.S., countries and states are gradually easing their restrictions amid warnings from health experts that a second wave of infections could hit unless testing for the virus is expanded dramatically.
As India braces for lockdon phase 3, starting May 4, Centre allowed elaxations in green and orange zones like opening of markets (barring malls) and offices; operation of factories and industries; movement of public (with some restrictions); services of domestic helps, barber shops and all other self-employed people; e-commerce delivery of non-essential items. In red zones, barring containment areas, private offices can function with 33% strength, and standalone liquor shops will be allowed to open.
The Union Home Ministry also issued a set of 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. 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. (Here is the full list)
Here are global updates on coronavirus that you should know today
Even as the nationwide lockdown was extended by another two weeks, the government allowed six special passenger trains to transport migrants, pilgrims, tourists and others stranded across the country to their home states Friday. Named Shramik Special, the six trains are from Lingampalli (Telangana) to Hatia (Jharkhand), Aluva (Kerala) to Bhubaneswar, Nashik to Lucknow, Nashik to Bhopal, Jaipur to Patna, and Kota to Hatia. With Railways in talks with other states, more trains are expected to run in the coming days to evacuate those stranded. Read here
The announcement of extending the lockdown came on a day when 77 deaths were reported across the country in the last 24 hours — the highest single-day toll so far. With 1,755 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the tally is now 35,365 cases (9,064 recovered) and 1,152 deaths.
Maharashtra recorded 1,008 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday, taking the total count of infected persons to 11,506. State health officials have attributed the rise to the disease's natural progression and improved testing capacity in Maharashtra.
Mumbai alone recorded 751 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking its total count to 7,812.
Apart from the increasing numbers, another area of concern was the inability of the state to control the doubling rate of cases. Maharashtra's doubling rate worsened on Friday, it now stands at nine days. Until last week it took over 10 days for cases to double. Read more here
The first batch of 1,140 migrant workers from Odisha, who were living and working in Ernakulam district of Kerala, boarded a special train arranged by the Railways to take them home. The non-stop train destined for Bhubaneswar left from Aluva railway station at 10 pm on Friday.
V S Sunil Kumar, minister in-charge of the district, said that Railways informed them about the plan to run the train. A helpdesk jointly run by police, revenue and health departments began registration of the migrants at several camps early Friday. Read More
After being stranded at Kota in Rajasthan for more than a month due to the lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19, about 2,400 students from West Bengal returned on Friday.
The buses carrying students entered the state via Bihar and Jharkhand. After a medical check-up there, students were sent towards their homes. Read More
The 130 districts in the red zone form 17 per cent of the total districts in the country, but account for about 33 per cent of the population (2011 Census).
The 284 districts in the orange zone — 39 per cent of the total districts — account for about 43 per cent of the population. And the 319 districts in the green zone form 44 per cent of the total districts, but account for only about a quarter of the population. Read More
Meanwhile, on the global front, the coronavirus has claimed at least over 235,000 lives and infected over 3.3 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.
The Centre on Friday decided to further extend the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown for two more weeks from May 4. The lockdown, which was initially planned for 21 days starting March 25, has now been extended for the third time. This comes even as the total number of COVID-19 in the country rose to 35,365 on Friday, including 1,152 deaths, the Union Health Ministry said.