Coronavirus in India LIVE: With 678 new cases\, COVID-19 tally in Maharashtra mounts to 12\,974



Coronavirus in India LIVE: With 678 new cases, COVID-19 tally in Maharashtra mounts to 12,974

The third phase of the nationwide lockdown began today


Photo: Zee Media Newsroom

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. The third phase of the nationwide lockdown began today with "considerable relaxations", as the pre-existing quarantine was further extended for the second time by the Ministry of Home Affairs for two weeks beyond May 3. However, governments are also keeping in place necessary curbs so as to not lose all the gains that have been achieved in the battle against the virus.

Meanwhile, the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection in India crossed the 42,000-mark on Monday, while the death toll topped the 1,300-mark as well. According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as many as 2,487 new cases and 83 deaths have been recorded in the last 24 hours, the sharpest increase in the number of COVID-19 infections for the country. However, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan maintains that the growth rate of COVID-19 cases in India has been steadying for a while and that the nation is on the path of winning the fight against SARS-CoV-2.

Notably, a total of 11,07,233 samples have been tested as of 9 AM on Monday, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

While some states have decided to abide by the Union Ministry of Home Affair's guidelines to regulate different activities in the red, green, and orange hotspot zones based on risk profiling, some of the other states have decided to modify the pre-existing regulations to allow considerable relaxation. Many states have announced the opening of shops selling non-essential items like clothes, shoes, stationery, paan, cigarettes, and liquor.

In India, the state of Maharashtra has emerged as the epicenter of coronavirus spread where cases are nearing the 13,000-mark with around 550 deaths. Notably, Mumbai, the financial capital of the country, has become the hotbed of the coronavirus spread in the state. 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.

Around 20 central teams have also been constituted for deployment to as many as 20 districts in nine states across the country. These teams will visit the places with a high caseload of COVID-19 infection and help the local administration implement cluster containment measures and discuss strategies to cut the spread of the virus.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on this day participate in a video conference meeting of the non-alignment movement (NAM) over the COVID-19 crisis. The meeting will happen at around 4.30 PM and will also be attended by the Union Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S Jaishankar.

Here are the latest updates on coronavirus in India on Monday, 4 May 2020

13:14 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

67 new #COVID19 positive cases have been reported in Andhra Pradesh; taking the total number of positive cases to 1650. There are 1093 active cases now: Arja Srikanth, State Nodal Officer

13:01 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

After a staff member of Border Security Force (BSF) working in Headquarters at CGO Complex in Delhi tested positive for #COVID19 last night, first and second floor of the office have been closed for sanitization: BSF

12:40 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

Delhi: More number of vehicles seen on roads in the national capital today, after Delhi govt announces several relaxations amid #CoronavirusLockdown; Visuals from Moolchand.

12:37 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

28 new #COVID19 cases have been reported in Karnataka today of which 21 cases are from Davangere. Total positive cases in the state stand at 642. One death has been reported today taking the death toll to 26: Govt of Karnataka

12:28 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

Supreme Court refuses to entertain a plea seeking a stay on burial of dead bodies of #COVID19 victims at three cemeteries in Mumbai’s Bandra West area and refers the matter back to the Bombay High Court.

12:20 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held first Cabinet meeting in the Delhi Secretariat today after government offices were allowed to be opened by the Delhi government from today. #COVID19

11:47 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

Bihar: 13 green zones in the state converted to orange zones. Now there are only red and orange zones in Bihar. 38 districts in Patna, Munger, Rohtas, Buxar, and Gaya are red zone, while the rest have been categorised as orange. The lockdown protocols in the red zone will continue strictly as ever.

11:43 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

#WATCH: Police resorts to mild lathi-charge outside a liquor shop in Kashmere Gate after social distancing norms were flouted by people outside the shop. #Delhi

11:13 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

Delhi: Construction activities resume where workers are available on the site of construction, following revised guidelines issued by Ministry of Home Affairs. A labourer says,“It is good that govt has allowed construction work amid #CoronavirusLockdown, as we will get wages now”

10:44 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

Chhattisgarh: Social distancing norms being flouted as people in large numbers queue outside a liquor shop in Rajnandgaon. The state govt has allowed liquor shops to open in the state from today except for the containment zones.

10:29 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

#WATCH Delhi: Drones are being used for surveillance by Police in the wholesale fruit and vegetable market in Ghazipur, amid #CoronavirusLockdown (Source: Delhi Police)

10:14 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

Odisha: A 29-year-old female has tested positive for COVID-19; taking the total number of positive cases to 163.

09:54 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

Rajasthan: 4 deaths and 123 new COVID-19 cases reported in Rajasthan today. Total positive cases stand at 3,009 and the death toll is 75

09:29 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

A total of 11,07,233 samples have been tested as of 9 AM on 4th May: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). 

09:15 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

2,553 new COVID-19 cases and 72 deaths have been reported in the country in the last 24 hours.

09:09 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

Maharashtra: 291 new COVID-19 cases reported in Aurangabad, 10 people have died in the region till now.

08:56 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

Total number of #COVID19 positive cases in India rises to 42,533 including 29,453 active cases,11,707 cured/discharged/migrated and 1,373 deaths: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

07:53 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

Uttar Pradesh: 8 more test COVID-19 positive in Ghaziabad, total cases rise to 82. (PTI info)

07:22 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

A total of 56 BSF jawans have been tested coronavirus positive across India which includes 14 from Tripura and 43 from Delhi.

07:20 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

The total number of cases cross 35,00,000, death toll more than 2.47 lakh as per Johns Hopkins university data. Novel coronavirus deaths in the US climb by 1,450 in the past 24 hours, a tally by Johns Hopkins University shows: AFP news agency

07:01 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

In order to ensure the faster supply of essential commodities, the Northern Railway, in association with other Zonal Railways, has decided to extend the run of 10 Parcel Cargo Express trains (PCETs), according to a press release. As per the release, these include -- New Delhi - Guwahati Parcel Express; Guwahati- New Delhi Parcel Express; Amritsar - Howrah Parcel Express; Howrah - Amritsar Parcel Express; New Delhi - Jammu Tawi. Parcel Express; JammuTawi - New Delhi Parcel Express; Kalka - Ambala Parcel Express; Ambala - Kalka Parcel Express; Dehradun - New Delhi Parcel Express and New Delhi - Dehradun Parcel Express. (ANI input)

06:59 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

Jharkhand government sent around 15 buses from 6 districts to Raipur on Sunday to bring back the migrant labourers stuck here amid COVID-19 lockdown. (ANI input)

06:31 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

A special train, carrying 1200 migrant workers who were stuck in Gujarat's Sabarmati due to coronavirus lockdown, reached UP's Kanpur on Sunday.

06:29 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

Rajasthan: Coronavirus cases in the state rise to 2,886 after 114 people, including 40 in Chittorgarh, 32 in Jaipur, and 27 in Jodhpur, test positive. (PTI input)

06:28 IST Monday, 4 May 2020

Bihar: Coronavirus cases in Bihar rises to 516 after 35 people test positive, including 7 in Munger, 6 in Bhagalpur, 5 each in West Champaran, and Aurangabad districts; active cases 393. (PTI report)