Chennai and Ahmedabad are emerging as new hotspots for coronavirus in India, even as Maharashtra, the worst-affected State, continues to register an increase in COVID-19 positive cases.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said: “We may soon start bus transport along with some guidelines. Airlines, railways and bus transport are required to be opened on a certain scale as there are many people stranded."
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:
Agra prisoner tests positive despite no contact with visitors
An inmate of the Agra Central Jail has tested positive for COVID-19 despite having no contact with visitors or outsiders for the last one and a half months.
On the advice of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the district, his sample has been sent for a recheck.
Agra prisoner tests positive despite no contact with visitors
61 new COVID-19 cases in UP
Uttar Pradesh reported 61 fresh cases on Thursday taking the total number of COVID-19 patients in the state to 3,059.
So far 61 deaths have been reported. 1,130 people have fully recovered from the disease.
The number of active cases in the state is 1,868.
Uddhav holds discussion with opposition
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday met opposition leaders through video conference to discuss the coronavirus situation in the state.
While some of the leaders gathered at Mantralaya (state secretariat) here, others, including Uddhav Thackeray himself, took part in the meeting through video conference, an official in the Chief Minister’s Office said.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat and PWD Minister Ashok chavan were present at the meeting from the government’s side.
From the opposition’s side, BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis and Pravin Darekar,MNS chief Raj Thackeray, VBA leader Prakash Ambedkar, PRP leader Jogendra Kawade, JSS leader Vinay Kore, PWP’s Jayant Patil, RSP’s Mahadeo Jankar, AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel, Kapil Patil, Ashok Dhavle and Rajendra Gawai participated, among others.
COVID-19 cases cross 200-mark in UP’s Gautam Buddh Nagar
Ten more people have tested positive for coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar district, taking the number of cases to 202, officials said on Thursday
“Total 124 reports have been received in the last 24 hours. Ten of them were positive and the rest were negative for COVID-19. The cumulative positive cases of coronavirus in Gautam Buddh Nagar are now 202,” District Surveillance Officer Sunil Dohare said.
“So far, 109 of the 202 patients have been cured and discharged, leaving 93 active cases in the district,” he said.
2 BSF personnel die of COVID-19
Two Border Security Force personnel have succumbed to the COVID-19 infection while the force has reported 41 new cases of infection.
The total number of infections or active cases in the 2.5 lakh personnel strong force now stand at 193 now. Two jawans have recovered.
Surat to shut vegetable shops from May 9
Gujarat Police keep vigil at a fish market in Juhapura, Ahmedabad on Thursday. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has ordered complete shutdown till May 15, 2020. | Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji
To contain the spread of coronavirus at Surat in Gujarat, the civic authorities on Thursday announced that all shops selling vegetables and fruits will remain closed in the city from May 9 to May 14.
The announcement came a day after the Ahmedabad civic authorities ordered closure of all shops, except those selling milk and medicines, for a week.
Pvt lab in UP banned from conducting COVID-19 tests over discrepancy in report
A private lab here has been banned from conducting COVID-19 tests after a person declared positive by it tested negative for the disease at a government hospital in Lucknow
The 65-year-old woman from Baundi area was admitted to a nursing home for a surgery on Tuesday. When her samples were sent for COVID-19 testing at PathKind Labs, she was found positive for the infection, Chief Medical Officer Dr Suresh Singh said.
On Wednesday, her report from the Ram Manohar Lohia Institute in Lucknow was found negative. - PTI
Agra prison inmate tests positive
Prison officials in Agra Central Jail were thrown into a tizzy after an inmate lodged there tested positive for COVID-19 despite having no contact with visitors or outsiders for the last 1.5 months. On the advice of the chief medical officer of the district, the sample was sent for a re-check. - Omar Rashid
Mandatory 14 days institutionalised quarantine for those entering Kerala from red zones
The State government on Thursday clarified that persons seeking to enter Kerala from red zone localities in other regions in the country would have to go into institutional quarantine for a mandatory period of 14 days.
They would have to pay for their food and board. Those who attempted to dodge quarantine would face prosecution under the provisions of the Kerala Epidemic Diseases Ordinance 2020.
Officials clarified that the prevalence of COVID-19 infections in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra had necessitated the shift in the containment strategy.
UP govt. lifts ban on sale of ‘paan masala’
The Uttar Pradesh government has lifted its ban on ‘paan masala’ which does not contain nicotine and tobacco. The order, however, clarified that the ban on manufacture, storage and sale of ‘gutka/paan masala’ with nicotine and tobacco will continue.
Residents of Shiva Khand in Vishwakarma Naga, East Delhi protest against government's apathy of not strictly sealing the containment zones of nearby Pratap Khand, on Thursday. While COVID-19 cases have been reported from nearby Pratap Khand, locals allege people there are roaming freely in the other areas, thus posing health risk for entire Vishwakarma Nagar. | Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena
MP increases working hours in factories
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced an increase of working hours in factories from eight to 12 hours. He has allowed an overtime of up to 72 hours.
"This is provided workers are willing to work for additional hours. They must be paid for overtime," he said. - Sidharth Yadav
Mylab expands production capacity of COVID-19 testing kits to enable 2 lakh tests per day
Pune-based Mylab Discovery Solutions on Thursday said it has expanded production capacity to manufacture COVID-19 RT-PCR test kits that would enable 2 lakh tests per day to meet the growing demand in the country.
Until now, Mylab has already manufactured testing kits for conducting 6.5 lakh tests and has supplied them to 140 sites, including labs and hospitals in over 20 states. - PTI
Fresh case of coronavirus in Himachal
Himachal Pradesh reported a fresh case of coronavirus on Thursday, taking the total number of virus cases in the state to 47.
A woman, whose 21 year-old son died of coronavirus on Tuesday, has tested positive for the virus. She was kept in quarantine at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla. Her son died in the same hospital.
The State now has six active cases with two in Chamba and Mandi and one each in Sirmaur and Kangra districts. A total of 34 people have recovered while three persons have died. - PTI
Vizianagaram, A.P's lone Green Zone district, reports three cases
The State has witnessed two more deaths due to COVID-19 and has detected another 56 positive cases after testing 8,087 samples during the past 24 hours. The tally has gone up to 1,833 and the number of active patients is 1,015. So far, 38 patients have died, and 780 have recovered.
Vizianagaram district reported its first three cases after almost two months (56 days) since the first positive case was reported in the State. It was the only Green Zone district in the State until now as declared by the Centre.
Non-Delhiites landing in Delhi airport to be quarantined too
Delhi government has issued a “revised order” on guidelines for handling of passengers from abroad arriving at the Delhi Airport.
“As per the new order, passengers from other states will also be quarantined for 14 days by the Delhi government,” a Delhi government official said.
The first order issued on Wednesday had said that passengers who are not residents of Delhi can be looked after by the Resident Commissioners and nodal officers of their respective states, including “boarding and lodging in Delhi and transportation to their respective states”. - Nikhil M. Babu
Air India opens bookings for foreigners, visa holders on outbound repatriation flights
Air India has opened bookings for eligible foreign nationals and valid visa holders of the UK, the USA and Singapore for outbound repatriation flights that will be operated between May 7 and May 14 under the Vande Bharat mission.
Foreign nationals or valid visa holders will be charged the same fare as Indian nationals who want a seat on the inbound repatriation flights. - PTI
Repatriation of Indian nationals from Singapore to start from Friday
The first of the nearly 20 special flights will operate on Friday from Singapore and will evacuate 240 Indians from the city-state who are stranded amidst the international travel lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic, the Indian High Commissioner here said on Thursday.
80,000 COVID-19 cases reported daily in April: WHO
An average of 80,000 COVID-19 cases were reported each day in April to the World Health Organization, the top UN health agency has said, noting that South Asian nations like India and Bangladesh are seeing a spike in the infections while the numbers are declining in regions such as Western Europe.
Eighteen persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Indore, taking the city tally to 1,699 cases.
With this, Madhya Pradesh count has surged to 3,156. So far, 595 patients have recovered from the illness in the city, while 83 have died of it, said Pravin Jadia, Indore Chief Medical and Health Officer.
The death toll in the State stands at 187, while 1,203 persons have been cured.
(Sidharth Yadav)
One COVID-19 patient each in Jaipur and Ajmer died on Thursday, taking the death toll in Rajasthan to 95.
Thirty-eight new COVID-19 positive cases detected in the State today.
According to the Medical & Health Department, the tally is now 3,355, and of these 1,739 patients have recovered and 1,275 have been discharged from hospitals.
(Mohammed Iqbal)
Cop succumbs to COVID-19 in Maharashtra; 5th death in police force
A 58-year-old assistant sub- inspector of police has died of coronavirus in Maharashtras Solapur district, an official said on Thursday. With this, five police personnel from the state have so far succumbed to the viral infection.
The assistant sub-inspector, posted at Solapur MIDC police station, was admitted to the civil hospital there on Tuesday after he tested positive for coronavirus. He died while undergoing treatment at the hospital on Wednesday, the official said.
The victim, who was set to retire after four months, was on duty till last week, he said.
Maharashtra Police expressed grief over the personnel’s demise. “DGP and all ranks of Maharashtra Police offer their condolences to the bereaved family, the state police said in a tweet.
So far, 456 police personnel, including 42 officers, have tested positive for coronavirus in the state.
(PTI)
Over 52,000 cases in India: Union Mnistry
India has registered 52,952 COVID-19 positive cases, of which 35,902 are active, according to the latest update from the Union Health Ministry.
As many as 1,783 people have succumbed to the infection in the country, and 15,266 have been cured of the illness, the Ministry said in its daily update.
The country saw an increase of 3,561 positive cases and 89 deaths overnight, according to the update.
What are the different methods of testing are being experimented in the country to trace COVID-19 infection?
Rajasthan govt decides to seal interstate boundaries
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot decided on Wednesday to seal all interstate boundaries of Rajasthan to prevent any unauthorised entry of persons.
Holding a high-level meeting late on Wednesday night, Gehlot directed the officials to seal the border with immediate effect and regulate the interstate boundaries so that those who have permission from the state government could enter.
Gehlot said there had been an unprecedented increase in the number of novel coronavirus cases in many states of the country in the past few days. “It has been decided to seal the borders with the possibility of people in large numbers entering without permission from other states of the country,” Gehlot said in a statement.
Only in cases of medical emergency and family death, the collector will be able to issue an e-pass, which will have to be reported to the Home Department on the same day. Apart from this, only after the prior permission of the Rajasthan government, other states will issue permits to enter Rajasthan, according to the statement.
Gehlot instructed that people coming from abroad would be quarantined for 14 days and they would be subjected to a COVID-19 test. Those violating the home quarantine directive will necessarily be placed in the government institutional quarantine and an FIR will also be lodged against them, he said.
Coronavirus worse for US than Pearl Harbor, 9/11: Trump
President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of China on Wednesday over the global coronavirus pandemic and said it has been worse for the United States than Pearl Harbor and 9/11.
Mr. Trump said fallout from the pandemic has hit the United States harder than the December 7, 1941 Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor or the September 11, 2001 Al-Qaeda attacks on New York and Washington.
“This is really the worst attack we've ever had,” Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House. “This is worse than Pearl Harbor. This is worse than the World Trade Center.”
Trump lashed out at China, continuing a war of words over the origins of the deadly virus that emerged in Wuhan last year.
“It should have never happened,” he said. “Could have been stopped at the source. Could have been stopped in China.”
China hit back Wednesday at US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over his claims the virus originated in a Wuhan laboratory, saying he has no evidence.
“This matter should be handed to scientists and medical professionals, and not politicians who lie for their own domestic political ends,” China's foreign ministry spokesperson said.
- AFP
With 20 new cases, Odisha’s tally goes up to 205
Odisha has registered the highest single day spike in COVID-19 positive cases.
Twenty new cases – 17 in Ganjam district and three Mayurbhanj district – have taken the State’s total to 205, according to the Health Department.