Coronavirus roundup: Developments in India and rest of world

TIMESOFINDIA.COM | May 8, 2020, 19:54 IST

NEW DELHI: "We have to learn to live with the virus," the government said on Friday, urging people to make Covid-19 prevention guidelines a part of their lives as a behavioural change amid easing of lockdown restrictions and migrant labourers returning home. A total of 3,390 Covid-19 cases and 103 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 56,342 and death toll to 1,886, according to the health ministry.

Here are the top developments:

1

India

As many as 216 districts in the country have not reported any Covid-19 cases till now, 42 districts have not registered any infections in the last 28 days and 29 districts have not recorded any case in the last 21 days, the Union health ministry said on Friday.
India's recovery rate stands at 29.36 per cent with 16,540 Covid-19 patients cured till now, including 1,273 who recovered in the last 24 hours. The ministry asserted that if dos and don'ts are followed, the peak in number of Covid-19 cases can be avoided.
The government informed that a revised list of red, orange, and green zones regarding Covid-19 will be circulated to the states soon after the analysis of data.
Amid a spurt in Covid-19 cases, the ICMR has decided to conduct a study in 75 affected districts across the country to identify people who were exposed to the novel coronavirus infection and yet showed mild or no symptoms. The study can help ascertain whether there has been community transmission of the respiratory disease in those areas or not, official sources said.
Pending CBSE class 10, 12 board exams, which were postponed due to the Covid-19-induced lockdown, will now be conducted from July 1 to 15, Union HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' announced.
The Supreme Court asked states to consider non-direct contact or online sales and home delivery of liquor during the lockdown period to prevent the spread of coronavirus on account of crowding at the shops.
The government is working on a financial package for infrastructure sectors and it may be announced soon, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said.
Over 400 stranded Indians, including medical students, were brought back home from Bangladesh and Singapore in two Air India aircraft as part of the government's mega repatriation mission Vande Bharat.
India also began evacuating over 700 of its citizens by sea from the Maldives who were stranded in the scenic island due to the Covid-19 linked international travel restrictions. The first Naval ship from Male is expected to arrive at the Cochin Port on May 10.
Thirty more BSF, including two posted at its headquarters in Delhi, have tested positive for Covid-19, taking the overall infections in the force to 223.
A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to approach the International Court of Justice and file a case for compensation of USD 600 billion from China alleging that the coronavirus pandemic was "deliberately created" by it.
Ride hailing major Uber India said it would offer free rides to healthcare workers and government officials of Greater Chennai Corporation engaged in Covid-19 related work under its UberMedic Service.

2

States

Uttar Pradesh: UP reported 74 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the total number of Covid-19 cases in the state to 3,145.
Delhi: There are 5,980 Covid-19 cases in Delhi right now, yesterday 448 new coronavirus cases were registered and 389 patients recovered after treatment.
Andhra: The growing number of coronavirus cases outside the hotspots has become a cause for concern as 54 more people tested positive in the last 24 hours, while three Covid-19 deaths were reported in Andhra Pradesh. The total number of coronavirus positive cases has reached 1,887 and the toll 41.
Karnataka: 45 new Covid-19 positive cases, including that of a five month old girl, have been confirmed in Karnataka, taking the total number of infections in the state to 753.
Rajasthan: 64 more Covid-19 cases have been reported from Rajasthan, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 3,491.
Uttarakhand: Two more persons tested positive for Covid-19 in Uttarakhand, taking the number of coronavirus cases in the state to 63.
Assam: Three more persons have tested positive for coronavirus in Assam, taking the state count to 56.
J&K: Thirty people tested positive for coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir, taking the number of cases to 823.
Madhya Pradesh: Nineteen more coronavirus cases were reported from Ujjain, taking the total number of Covid-19 cases in the state to 3,252.
Odisha: Odisha Government has increased the quarantine period to 28 days from 14 days. So far, Odisha has reported 271 COVID-19 positive cases.
Telangana: 15 more Covid-19 cases have been reported from Telangana, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 1,132.
Kerala: Kerala has flattened the Covid-19 curve, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said as only a solitary case was reported and just 16 people remained under treatment for the infection in the state.
Himachala Pradesh: The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to impose 'corona cess' on liquor sale, through which the state exchequer is expected to earn Rs 100 crore yearly.
Tamil Nadu: The number of Covid-19 cases has reached 6,009 in Tamil Nadu, including 1,605 recovered/discharged and 40 deaths, so far.
Punjab: The state has reported 87 new Covid-19 positive cases today, taking the total number of cases in the state to 1,731.
Bihar: Six more cases of Covid-19 have been reported in Bihar, taking the total number of cases to 569 in the state, so far.
Chandigarh: The Union territory reported fresh 146 cases of Covid-19, including 21 recovered/discharged and one death.

3

World

The novel coronavirus has killed at least 269,514 people since the outbreak first emerged in China last December. More than 3,856,400 cases were registered in 195 countries and territories.
Russia registered more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases for the sixth day in a row, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 187,859.
US President Donald Trump has decided that he will be tested daily for the coronavirus after one of his valets tested positive for the deadly disease. The US has the highest number of total deaths with 75,670 out of 1,256,972 cases.
Iran urged its citizens to take social distancing "more seriously" as it announced more than 1,500 new cases of coronavirus infection in the Middle East's hardest-hit country, bringing the total number to 104,691 in the country.
Afghan officials say the country's health minister Ferozuddin Feroz has tested positive for the new coronavirus as the country recorded 215 new infection cases in the last 24 hours. Afghanistan has recorded more than 100 deaths from the virus out of more than 3,700 confirmed cases.
Singapore reported 768 new cases of coronavirus, mostly among the foreign nationals living in dormitories, taking the total number of infections in the country to 21,707 with 20 deaths.
A record 1,764 new coronavirus cases were reported in Pakistan in one day, taking the total number of patients to 25,837. Thirty-five more patients have died in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 594.
Australia's government unveiled a three-stage plan to get the economy back to a new "Covid-safe" normal by the end of July. Australia has been one of the most successful countries in containing the Covid-19 epidemic, with just under 7,000 cases and 100 deaths in a population of 25 million.
Nepal reported three new cases of the coronavirus, taking the total infections in the country to over 100.