Coronavirus India lockdown Day 39 updates | Commercial passenger flights to remain suspended till May 17 midnight: DGCA

The India-wide lockdown, scheduled to end on May 3, has been extended till May 17. However, considerable relaxations have been announced across red, orange and green zones based on the evidence of COVID-19 infection.

The Hindu has brought out a multi-language e-book on essential COVID-19 information, in addition to covering the developments related to the coronavirus pandemic as it unfolded. Here is a collection of our daily cartoons on COVID-19.

Here are answers from experts on your queries about the virus, a list of State Helpline numbers, a State-wise tracker for COVID-19 cases, deaths and testing, and a map of confirmed cases in India.

Here are the latest updates:

One more West Bengal returnee has detected positive for COVID-19 in Jajpur district, taking Odisha’s total number to 157 on Saturday, officials said. Seven cases with West Bengal links were reported from the district earlier in the day.

- Prafulla Das

Commercial passenger flights to remain suspended till May 17 midnight: DGCA

A day after the Modi government announced extension of the coronavirus-induced lockdown till May 17, the DGCA on Saturday said all commercial passenger flights will remain suspended till midnight of May 17.

“It is reiterated that foreign and domestic airlines shall be suitably informed about the opening of their operations whether international to/from India or domestic, respectively, in due course,” a circular of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated.

India has been under lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of coronavirus. All commercial passenger flights have been suspended for this period.

However, cargo flights, medical evacuation flights and special flights permitted by the DGCA are allowed to operate.

Coronavirus has infected over 37,000 people and killed more than 1,200 people in India till now. 

The first phase of lockdown in India was from March 25 to April 14. The second phase started on April 15 and would end on May 3. The third phase would be from May 4 to 17.

-- PTI

Three men aged 34, 40 and 58 tested positive for COVID-19 in Bihar. They were detected in Saran, Buxar and Kaimur districts taking the total number of cases in the State to 478.

-- Amarnath Tewary

41 people from same building in Delhi's Kapashera test positive

Forty-one people living in a building in Kapashera in the city tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, officials said.

“A total of 175 samples were collected on April 20 and 22 of all residents in the building and sent to NIB (National Institute of Biologicals), Noida. 67 reports have come today (Saturday), out of which 41 are positive,” a Delhi government official said.

The building was declared a containment zone on April 19, after one case was detected on April 18.

“These tests were conducted 13 days ago and the results were delayed due to issues of blockade at Delhi-Noida border and due to pendency backlog at NIB Noida,” the official said.

The official said that most inhabitants of the building were migrant workers.

U.P. reports 127 new COVID-19 cases, total rises to 2,455 

With 127 more people testing positive for COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, the number of confirmed cases in the State rises to 2,455, officials said here.

Coronavirus cases have so far been reported in 64 of the 75 districts in the State. Six among these 64 districts have no active cases at present, Principal Secretary, Health, Amit Mohan Prasad said.

The number of active cases in the State stands at 1,756, he added.

Forty-three deaths have so far been reported and 656 patients treated and discharged from hospitals, Prasad said.

He said a detailed government order for screening of migrant labourers and workers returning to the State was issued on Friday.

“All those returning will be first screened and those found healthy will be home-quarantined for 21 days. Those showing even minor symptoms will be stopped from proceeding homewards and would be subjected to detailed testing,” the official said.

If these people test positive for COVID-19, they will be sent to isolation wards in hospitals. If not, they will be stopped for seven days, Prasad said, adding that after seven days, they will be screened again. If the results are negative, they will be placed under home-quarantine for 14 days, he said.

Since a large number of migrants will be returning to the State, arrangements for community surveillance is being made, the principal secretary said. 

For this, ‘gram nigrani samitis’ are being formed in the rural areas and ‘mohalla nigrani samitis’ in the urban areas, he added.

-- PTI

Tamil Nadu Cabinet approves lockdown extension till May 17

Tamil Nadu Cabinet has approved the extension of lockdown till May 17. It permits the following activities in areas falling under the jurisdiction of Greater Chennai Police.

Resumption of construction activity, road works, opening of SEZs, EOU or Export Units with minimum 20 employees or 25% of staff strength. IT or ITES firms can function with minimum of 20 employees or 10% staff strength. Shops selling essential commodities can function between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m., and restaurants (only for parcels) from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Standalone and neighbourhood shops, barring saloons or beauty parlours can operate between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., as wells as  service providers such as plumbers, electricians, AC mechanics and tailors.

All these activities are permitted in areas outside the containment zones.

As for non-containment zones in the rest of Tamil Nadu, in the zones under municipal corporations and municipalities, TN Cabinet permits re-opening of all factories including textile mills with 50% of the staff strength (minimum of 20 employees).

Textile mills with 50% staff strength in town panchayats of over 15,000 population can function with the clearance of District Collectors; SEZ, EOU, industrial estates/clusters in rural and urban areas can work with 50% staff strength. However, no permission has been given to textile mills located in industrial estates of urban areas. 

The Cabinet has also authorised Collectors to decide re-opening of export units in urban areas with 50% staff strength and units of designing and production of samples for exporting garment and leather products with 30% staff strength.

It permitted re-opening of hardware manufacturing firms with 50% staff strength and spinning mills in rural areas with 50% staff strength.

It also allows shops, selling materials for infrastructure industry and  repair shops for mobile phones and computers, to be kept open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Haryana reports fifth coronavirus-related death 

A 62-year-old coronavirus positive woman from Ambala City, with underlying health conditions, died on Saturday, bringing the death count to five in Haryana, a health official said.

The woman died at PGIMER, Chandigarh, where she was admitted to last Friday with kidney and liver ailments, Ambala Chief Medical Officer(CMO) Kuldeep Singh said.

She tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, Singh said.

The CMO said the Ambala health department was informed about her death by PGIMER authorities.

Ambala’s health authorities sealed off the entire Rattangarh area, from where the woman belonged to. Around 70 samples of the residents of the locality and the relatives of the woman were sent to PGIMER Chandigarh for testing after her report came out positive. All the samples were found negative, he added.

The woman’s death was second from Ambala district and fifth coronavirus-related fatality in the state. Haryana recorded its first COVID-19-related death around a month ago when a 67-year-old man from Ambala, who also had underlying health conditions, died at PGIMER, Chandigarh. -- PTI 

Two BSF troopers stationed at Ambassa in Dhalai district tested positive for COVID-19 in Tripura. Two patients who tested positive earlier were discharged from hospital after they recovered. The BSF personnel have been admitted to the dedicated COVID-19 hospital in Agartala. Active COVID-19 cases in the State is now two.

-- Syed Sajjad Ali

Nine more COVID-19 positive cases from Bhojpur, Kaimur and Buxar districts take the total number in Bihar to 475. Six women and three men tested positive on Saturday. The State also reported its fourth COVID-19 death. A 45-year-old man from Sitamarhi district was also suffering from lung cancer.

-- Amarnath Tewary

Karnataka reports two deaths, 19 more positive cases

Two new deaths have been reported in Karnataka on Saturday.

Both the patients had other co-morbidities. A 63-year-old man who was a resident of Bengaluru had a medical history of diabetes, hypertension, hypothyroidism, renal failure and multiple myeloma. He was on dialysis and chemotherapy and was admitted to a designated hospital in the city on 30 April. He died on Saturday due to a cardiac arrest.

An 82-year-old patient who was a resident of Bidar died on April 28 at a designated hospital. His reports indicated that he was COVID-19 positive.

With this, the total number of deaths due to COVID 19 in Karnataka stand at 25.

The State also reported nine new COVID-19 positive cases. With this the total number of positive cases in Karnataka is 598. Of these, 255 patients have been discharged.

Among the nine new cases, two cases each are from Tumakuru and Vijayapura. One case each has been reported from Bidar, Chikkaballapur, Belagavi, Bagalkote and Bengaluru Urban.

Two more COVID-19 cases, both Kolkata returnees, detected in Jajpur district taking Odisha’s total of 156 on Saturday. Five cases with Kolkata link were found in Jajpur earlier in the day, according to the State government.

-- Prafulla Das

Two women die of COVID-19 in Indore; district toll now 74

Two COVID-19 patients succumbed to the infection at Indore in Madhya Pradesh, taking the toll in the district to 74, a senior official said on Saturday.

Indore is one of the worst-hit districts in the country.

The deceased COVID-19 patients include two women in their 50s, one of whom suffered from anaemia, while the other had co-morbid conditions of high blood pressure and diabetes, chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Praveen Jadia said.

At least 32 fresh cases of COVID-19 were reported in the district in the last 24 hours, taking the count to 1,545, of which 250 patients have recovered from the infection, he said.

The latest data has revealed that the death rate of COVID-19 patients in the district as on Saturday morning was 4.79%, which is a sharp decline from the last 23 days.

The administration has imposed curfew in the urban limits of the district since March 25, after the first case of coronavirus was detected here. -- PTI

An MHA official clarifies that barbers/salons can open in orange/green zones.

RWAs should take a call on allowing movement of outsiders by keeping health protocols in mind. No public transport will operate. Also the responsibility lies with the person calling and allowing in case of any mishappening.

E-commerce for essential and non essential allowed in orange and green zones. In red zones, e-commerce only for essentials.

All these guidelines are subject to implementation by local authorities.

122 CRPF personnel test positive in Delhi

Days after a 55-year-old Sub Inspector of CRPF succumbed to COVID-19 infection, at least 122 personnel from the same unit have tested positive to the virus.

In all, 380 personnel were tested and results of 100 others are awaited. The entire unit of CRPF at Mayur Vihar in East Delhi has been quarantinunitan enquiry has been ordered to study the lapses that led to the Infection spreading among such a large number of the force.

On April 28, Sub Inspector Mohd. Ikram Hussain died at the Safdarjung Hospital. This was the first such death reported in the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) comprising CRPF, Border Security Force, CISF, ITBP, SSB, Assam Rifles.

3 SRPF jawans among 5 new COVID-19 patients in Jalna

Five persons, including three SRPF jawans, have tested coronavirus positive, taking the overall tally of such patients in Jalna district of Maharashtra to eight, an official said on Saturday.

Two of the total eight patients have recovered from the infection so far, the official said.

“The test reports of the five new patients, including three jawans of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), were received on Friday night,” district civil surgeon Dr. Madhukar Rathod said.

20 people test positive in Nanded gurdwara

Twenty persons currently residing in Gurdwara Langar Sahib at Nanded in Maharashtra have tested coronavirus positive, an official said on Saturday.

Swabs of total 97 people residing in the gurdwara had been collected for testing. Of them 20 have tested positive for the infection, civil surgeon Dr. Neelkanth Bhosikar said.

“They have been admitted to NRI Bhawan COVID Care Centre,” he said. The samples had been collected on April 30 and May 1, he said.

Three deaths in Rajasthan; toll up to 65

Three deaths — two in Jaipur and one in Jodhpur — reported in Rajasthan today, taking the toll of COVID-19 related deaths to 65. Twelve COVID-19 positive cases detected in six districts of the State today. The tally of positive cases in Rajasthan is now 2,678.

Of them, 1,116 have recovered and 714 have been discharged from hospitals. As of now, the State has 1,497 active cases, says the Medical & Health Department.

The deceased in Jaipur were a 55-year-old male patient and a 15-year-old boy. Both of them resided in the curfew-bound Walled City of Jaipur. A 67-year-old man who died in Jodhpur had coronary artery disease, a co-morbidity, according to Medical & Health Department.

India records 2,292 new cases

India has recorded 71 death and 2,292 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, said the Union Health Ministry on Saturday.

With this, the total case count across the country is 37,336, of which 9,951 people have recovered from the infection.

The death toll in the country till date is 1,281, according to the Ministry's count.

South Korea continues month-long streak of less than 100 new COVID-19 cases

South Korea has reported six fresh cases of the new coronavirus, continuing a month-long streak of below 100.

Infections continue to wane in the hardest-hit city of Daegu, where no new cases were detected. Figures released by South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday brought national figures to 10,780 cases and 250 virus-related deaths.

154 cases detected in Odisha so far

The number of COVID-19 positive cases in Odisha increased to 154 on Saturday after three male Kolkata returnees and two females contacts tested positive in Jajpur district.

All five were asymptomatic, the State government said.

Over 9,000 test reports unaccounted for in M.P.

A wide variance between the cumulative COVID-19 test reports received and the sum of samples that tested positive and negative until April 30 in Madhya Pradesh, has raised questions about accuracy of data maintained by the State government. The difference between the two metrics has left at least 9,271 test results unaccounted.

Incidentaly, this figure is close to startlingly high number of 7,875 tests which the State government claims to have conducted on the same day (April 30). This stated number of tests is more than twice the highest number of tests reported earlier. . It also marks an unusual 23.27% jump in testing over the previous day, much beyond the State’s infrastructure.

Chennai remains Tamil Nadu’s hotspot with 176 new cases

 With Chennai remaining Tamil Nadu’s COVID-19 epicentre, registering 176 of the 203 fresh cases on Friday, the State government chose to pay focused attention to the capital city, appointing senior IAS officer J. Radhakrishnan as Special Nodal Officer to coordinate issues relating to the pandemic. Five senior IPS officers will support him. 

With the 176 fresh cases, the city’s tally of COVID-19 cases surpassed the 1,000-mark.

751 new cases in Mumbai; highest single-day jump

Mumbai recorded 751 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, the highest single-day jump so far, pushing its tally to 7,812. Five more deaths were reported from the city, taking its death toll to 295. Nearly 68% of the State’s new cases and 60% of deaths have been reported from the city.

The city’s case fatality rate now stands at 3.7%. Of the five victims, three had co-morbidities, one was below 40 years, two were in the 40-60 age group and two were above 60 years. With 1,567 patients recovering so far, the city’s recovery rate of 20% is higher than the State’s rate of 16%.