As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak continues to spread like wildfire in India, the central and state governments are respectively amping up all of their efforts to check potential contamination. A nationwide lockdown is in place, which was further extended on May 1 by the Ministry of Home Affairs for two weeks beyond May 3. This is the second extension to the lockdown first announced on March 24 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had declared an extension of the initial nationwide lockdown till May 3 to battle the novel coronavirus.

The MHA on Friday also issued new guidelines to regulate different activities in this period, based on the risk profiling of the districts of the country into red (hotspot), green and orange zones. The guidelines have permitted considerable relaxations in the districts falling in the green and orange zones.

The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection in India crossed the 35,000-mark on Friday, while the death toll topped the 1,152-mark as well.

In India, the state of Maharashtra has emerged as the epicenter of coronavirus spread where cases have neared the 10,000-mark with at least 432 deaths. Mumbai, the financial capital of the country, has become the hotbed of the coronavirus spread in the state. Notably, one of the real challenges in Mumbai is controlling the disease contamination in Asia's biggest slum -- Dharavi, which is an extremely densely-populated region.

Meanwhile, the classification of districts into red, green and orange zones will be shared by MoHFW with the States and Union Territories (UTs) on a weekly basis, or earlier, as required. While States and UTs can include additional districts as red and orange zones, they may not lower the classification of a district included by MoHFW in the list of red or orange zones.

The new guidelines also prescribe certain measures for well being and safety of persons. Hence, movement of individuals, for all non-essential activities, shall remain strictly prohibited between 7 pm to 7 am, the MHA said. Local authorities shall issue orders under appropriate provisions of law, such as prohibitory orders [curfew] under Section 144 of CrPC, for this purpose, and ensure strict compliance, the ministry said.

Here are the latest updates on coronavirus in India on Saturday, 2 May 2020

6:49 IST Saturday, 2 May 2020

Haryana: Police personnel check vehicles at Delhi-Gurugram border, amid #CoronaLockdown. Individual inter-state and inter-district movement have been curtailed in Gurugram, including media persons, police and doctors, in a bid to contain coronavirus cases.

Haryana: Police personnel check vehicles at Delhi-Gurugram border, amid #CoronaLockdown. Individual inter-state and inter-district movement have been curtailed in Gurugram, including media persons, police and doctors, in a bid to contain coronavirus cases. pic.twitter.com/niYhKc1Ahx

— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2020

6:18 IST Saturday, 2 May 2020

#COVID19 deaths in the United States of America (USA) climbed by 1,883 in the past 24 hours, as per Johns Hopkins University tally: AFP news agency

3:32 IST Saturday, 2 May 2020

United States of America (USA) approves Gilead's remdesivir drug for coronavirus patients, says President Donald Trump: AFP news agency

12:52 IST Saturday, 2 May 2020

Till now, 5 trains have commenced their journeys carrying migrant workers, students & other people on the request of the respective state governments. The trains are - Lingampally to Hatia, Aluva to Bhubaneswar, Nashik to Bhopal, Jaipur to Patna,& Kota to Hatia: Railways official