The COVID-19 cases in India are likely to peak in June-July according to data released by experts and going by the current trend, said All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director Randeep Guleria.
Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that in comparison to other countries, India was in a better condition as the fatality rate was 3.3% and recovery rate was 28.83%.
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:
e-token system launched to buy liquor
A man showing his token to a liquor shop worker in East Delhi. | Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena
In a bid to ensure social distancing and to stop overcrowding at liquor shops, the Delhi government has launched e-token system to buy liquor.
People can apply for an e-token through the link https://www.qtoken.in/. A person will have to enter his/her name and phone number and an e-coupon will be sent to his/her registered mobile number.
The person can then go to the nearby shop, show the e-token and buy liquor. The government said that this will help reduce overcrowding and ensure social distancing at liquor shops.
Indian medical students in Bangladesh to be evacuated in special flight
A large group of Indian medical students stranded in Bangladesh because of the lockdown will be evacuated shortly in a first special flight from Dhaka. The 167 students hailing from Kashmir are enrolled in medical schools in Dhaka and were stuck after India declared the lockdown on March 24.
The special Air India flight will leave at 11 a.m. on Friday from Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport and will reach Srinagar by afternoon. Bangladesh has around 550 medical students from Kashmir who study in various government and private medical colleges in Dhaka and Mymensingh. 67 medical students had tried to leave Bangladesh through the Benapole-Petrapole crossing in West Bengal on March 24 but were not allowed to enter as India had sealed all land borders with neighbouring countries to fight the novel coronavirus.
J&K scales up COVID-19 testing facilities
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has scaled up sampling and testing facilities, with over 3,000 samples and 1.000 tests on a daily basis.
The increased sampling and testing has become all the more important as the migrant workers and students belonging to the Union territory are returning back to their home districts, an official spokesperson said.
Special sample collection centres have been set up in Lakhanpur in Kathua, Thandi khui in Samba, Tikri in Udhampur, one in Doda. All migrant labourers and truck drivers are being tested at Lakhanpur. - PTI
103 death in the past 24 hours, says Health Ministry
India has registered 3,390 new COVID-19 positive cases and 103 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to an update from the Union Health Ministry on Friday.
With this, the total number of cases in the country is now 56,342, according to Union Ministry data. Of this, 37,916 are active cases. As many as 1,886 people have succumbed to the infection while 16,539 people have been cured.
Six more COVID-19 positive cases have been detected in Bihar on Friday. With this, the total number of cases in the State is 556.
All the new patients are men hailing from Samastipur district.
Fresh COVID-19 case in HP, tally rises to 48
One more person tested positive for coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur district on Friday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 48, an official said.
Hamirpur had become coronavirus-free on April 29 after the last two patients in the district tested negative for the infection.
Himachal Pradesh has seven active cases with two in Chamba, and one each in Hamirpur, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur and Kangra districts, according to officials.
While 34 people have recovered, three have died. Four people were shifted to other States for treatment.
- PTI
Seven zones in Chennai account for most cases
The Greater Chennai Corporation has identified seven zones that have reported a majority of COVID-19 positive cases, said Corporation special nodal officer J. Radhakrishnan.
On Thursday, 316 positive cases were reported in the city. As many as 451 containment zones have been created to prevent the spread of infection.
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26 new cases in Odisha
Odisha has registered 26 new COVID-19 cases, taking the State's tall to 245. Of this, 181 cases are active. As many as 62 people have recovered and two have died of the infection.
Of the new cases, 19 were detected in Ganjam, 5 in Kendrapara and 2 in Bhadrak districts.