The Health Ministry has issued revised guidelines for home isolation of very mild/pre-symptomatic COVID-19 cases, stating the isolation for patients will end after 17 days of the onset of symptoms (or date of sampling, for pre-symptomatic cases) and if there is no fever for 10 days. The ICMR also issued a guidance for appropriate recording of COVID-19 deaths to create robust data.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video conference with Chief Ministers on the coronavirus situation in India, with focus on a a strategy for a phased exit from the shutdown.
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:
Guidelines for passengers to travel in 'special' trains
With Railways planning to begin operating 15 ‘special’ trains starting Tuesday, passengers will need to reach railway stations at least 90 minutes in advance.
There will be no provision for pre-paid meal booking and passengers will be encouraged to carry their own food and drinking water. However, IRCTC shall make provision for limited eatables and packaged drinking water on payment basis.
No linen, blankets and curtains shall be provided inside the train. Passengers will need to carry their own linen.
Maximum Advance Reservation Period will be of maximum seven days.
- Yuthika Bhargava
Health Ministry pegs recovery rate at 31.15%
Under Samudra Setu mission, INS Jalashwa on Sunday brought in 698 persons, including 105 women and four children, while INS Magar has started from Male with about 200 persons yesterday, an MHA spokesperson said at the daily COVID-19 press conference.
"23 flights have brought in about 4000 Indians from abroad till May 10. Special trains have ferried more than 5 lakh passengers, including migrant labourers. 468 special trains have been operated so far.
"Yesterday, the Cabinet Secretary held meetings with State/UT Chief Secretaries and other officials. The facilities being provided to migrant workers were discussed. Home Ministry has written to State governments to ensure that migrant workers do not use the rail tracks in any circumstances. Arrangements should be made for their shelter and food. The States should facilitate their smooth travel back home.
"In the coming weeks, about 100 special trains should be operated daily to ensure that the migrant labourers reach home as early as possible.
The Cabinet Secretary, during yesterday's video-conference, also took up the issue of facilitating travel of health care professionals. State governments have been requested to ensure free way and security to them and sanitation staff," the spokesperson said.
"In the past 24 hours, there has been an increase of 4213 cases, but 1559 patients have been cured. Total recovery rate is 31.15%," a Health Ministry spokesperson said.
"As per new discharge policy, the cases which are mild, very mild or pre-symptomatic and the patients are admitted to Covid care facilities, can be discharged if in the first 10 days after the manifestation of symptoms, they do not have fever for three days. No need for testing before discharge. They, however, have to stay in home isolation for seven days.
"In moderate cases, wherein patients are admitted to dedicated Covid centres, if the symptoms get resolved in three days and they are not on oxygen support, they can be discharged 10 days after manifestation of the symptoms
"Those who continue to be on oxygen support will be discharged after their clinical symptoms are resolved and they are off oxygen support.
"The discharged patients will have to stay in home isolation for seven days. In severe cases, including immuno-compromised cases, patients will be discharged only after they clinically recover or their RTPCR test comes negative.
"ICMR lab surveillance data review has showed that RTPCR postive cases turn negative in 10 days. Recent study has also revealed that viral load peaks in pre-symptom mode and goes down in next seven days," the spokesperson informed.
Seventy proposals on vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics have been shortlisted for funding, he added.
- Devesh Pandey
Another death in J&K
Another death due to COVID-19 has been reported in J&K, taking the death toll to 10. The new death comes four days after the death of the 34-year-old son of the deceased. The father, suffering from pancreatic cancer, died in a Srinagar hospital on Monday, according to hospital officials.
- Peerzada Ashiq
Over 3,000 migrant workers in U.P.’s Shamli sent home
Over 3,000 stranded workers were sent home in buses by the authorities in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district, officials said on Monday.
The authorities sent 3,442 migrant workers to their homes in 103 buses on Sunday, they said.
Some of these workers had come to Uttar Pradesh from other States, including Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab, Shamli DM Jasjit Kaur said.
- PTI
No invasive technique should be adopted for autopsy of COVID-19 patients: ICMR document
Invasive techniques should not be adopted for forensic autopsy in COVID-19 death cases as doctors and other mortuary staff are exposed to potentially dangerous health risks due to organ fluids and secretions, the ICMR has said in a draft document.
According to the final draft ‘Standard Guidelines for Medico-legal autopsy in COVID-19 deaths in India’ released by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), deaths in hospital and under medical care due to coronavirus infection is a non-MLC case and doesn’t require postmortem and the required certification of death is being done by treating doctors.
- PTI
Delhi airport using ultraviolet disinfection technology to fight coronavirus
The Delhi airport is using mobile towers, handheld torch and baggage tunnels that deploy ultraviolet (UV) rays to disinfect surfaces in order to combat coronavirus, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said on Monday.
The mobile towers are placed in properly cordoned areas of a terminal and the UV lamps inside them are used for disinfection, the DIAL said in a statement.
Only asymptomatic people with confirmed e-tickets will be allowed to enter railway station: MHA
The Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the movement of people by trains and made it clear that only asymptomatic and confirmed e-ticket holders will be allowed to travel.
In an order, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said all passengers will have to wear face masks and observe social distancing norms while entering a station and during travel.
“Only those passengers with confirmed e-tickets shall be allowed to enter the station. The movement of the passenger(s) as well as the driver of the vehicle transporting the passenger(s) to and from the railway station shall be allowed on the basis of the confirmed e-ticket,” the order said.
The Ministry of Railways will ensure that passengers shall be compulsorily screened and only those who are asymptomatic will be allowed to enter or board a train.
The Home Ministry said all passengers shall be provided hand sanitiser at stations and in coaches.
- PTI
Shramik Special train with 1,200 people arrives in Chhattisgarh from Gujarat
The first Shramik Special train with over 1,200 migrant labourers stranded due to the novel coronavirus-induced lockdown reached Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh from Ahmedabad in Gujarat at 9:45am on Monday, said State government officials.
After medical screening at the railway station, they will be transported to their respective districts in 70 buses specially arranged by the administration, a state public relations department official said.
In keeping with norms in place to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak, the passengers were given masks and hand sanitisers as soon as they alighted from the coaches, and an 80-member medical team was in place to screen them, he added.
- PTI
Migrant workers to be sent home within a week, says Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
Assuring migrant workers from other States that they would be sent home within a week, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Monday urged them to remain within their camps until then.
Seven more COVID-19 positive cases take the tally in Bihar to 714. The patients are from Bhagalpur, Gopalgunj and Patna districts.
- Amarnath Tewary
Delhi has reported 310 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 7,233, according to the Delhi government.
Of the 7,233 cases, 2,129 people have recovered and there are 5,031 active cases.
A total of 73 deaths have been reported in the city so far, but no new death was reported in the past 24 hours.
- Nikhil M. Babu
New wholesale market in Thirumazhisai starts functioning
After a gap of nearly a week, wholesale vegetable trade resumed in Chennai at the new market set up in Thirumazhisai on Monday. Vegetable prices, which are high now, may begin to stabilise in Chennai in a few days, according to wholesale traders. The Koyambedu market, the earlier site of wholesale trade, was shut following a large number of COVID-19 cases being reported from there.
Rajasthan govt. allows movement of people without pass
The Rajasthan government on May 11 allowed movement of people within the districts and to other districts in the State without pass, while relaxing the guidelines with new exemptions for travel from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The exemption will not be available in the areas where curfew has been clamped after the detection of a large number of COVID-19 positive cases.
The passes were earlier required for all inter-district journeys. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajeev Swarup said here that no pass would be required for travelling for permissible activities within the State. The District Collectors have been authorised to issue passes for travel to other States by bus or train and for the curfew areas.
338 containment zones in Kolkata
The Kolkata Police on Monday put up on its twitter account the list of 338 containment zones in the city.
The list was made available to the police by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).
West Bengal at present has four red zones including the city, neighbouring Howrah,North 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur districts.
There are 11 districts in the orange zone and eight in green zone.
- PTI
Karnataka records 10 new cases
Ten new cases have been detected on Monday taking the total number of positive cases to 858.
The new cases include three from Davangere, two each from Bagalkote and Bidar and one each from Vijayapura, Kalaburgi and Haveri.
ICMR issues guidance for appropriate recording of COVID-19 deaths to create robust data
COVID-19 would be recorded as an “underlying cause of death” when leading to pneumonia, cardiac injury and clotting in the bloodstream, among others, according to the guidance issued by ICMR for appropriate recording of deaths due to the disease in India.
Explaining the public health significance of recording the cause of death in the COVID-19 pandemic, ICMR said COVID-19 is a new disease and is a pandemic affecting all communities and countries and a robust data is needed in India to measure the public health impact of the ailment and to plan for timely health interventions.
No need for testing after home isolation period is over, say Health Ministry’s revised guidelines
The Health Ministry has issued revised guidelines for home isolation of very mild/pre-symptomatic COVID-19 cases, stating the isolation for patients will end after 17 days of the onset of symptoms (or date of sampling, for pre-symptomatic cases) and if there is no fever for 10 days.
“There is no need for testing after the home isolation period is over,” notes the Ministry in its latest guideline. The caregiver and all close contacts of such cases should take hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis as per protocol and as prescribed by the treating medical officer.
States to ensure unhindered movement of doctors, paramedics: MHA
The Centre has asked States to ensure uninterrupted movement of doctors and other healthcare workers during the ongoing lockdown, saying curbs on them can lead to severe constraints in rendering COVID and non-COVID medical services.
There have been reports of healthcare services being affected in some places, including in the national capital, after neighbouring States closed down inter-State borders and barred movement of medical workers.
Now, around 1,700 passengers, three stoppages for ‘Shramik Special’ trains
In a bid to ferry more migrants, the Railways on Monday decided to carry around 1,700 passengers on board its ‘Shramik Special’ trains instead of the current 1,200.
According to an order issued, the railway zones have also been asked to provide three stoppages in the destination State other than the final stop, at the request of the State governments.
First flight to Bengaluru carrying stranded Indians arrives in KIA
An Air India flight from London carrying Indians stuck abroad landed at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Monday morning.
There were 323 passengers in the flight and all of them were screened at the airport. Later they were transported in BMTC buses to quarantine facilities identified by authorities.
Finance Minister's meeting with heads of public sector banks gets deferred
The review meeting of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with CEOs of public sector banks (PSBs) scheduled for Monday has been postponed.
According to sources, the meeting has been deferred and the new date will be informed shortly.
The meeting, to be held via video-conferencing, was to discuss various issues, including credit offtake, as part of efforts to prop up the economy hit by the COVID-19 crisis.
The agenda also included taking stock of interest rate transmission to borrowers by banks and progress on moratorium on loan repayments.
- PTI
11 new cases in Bihar
In Bihar, 11 new COVID-19 positive cases were detected on Monday. This takes the total number of cases in the State to 707.
All 11 are men from Khagaria, Begusarai and Banka districts. The current death toll in the State is six. As many as 300 people have recovered so far.
Migrant labourers, police clash in Bengaluru
Migrant labourers unhappy with their contractors gathered at Veeranapalya Colony in Amruthahalli on Sunday. Over 500 labourers started protesting, demanding that they be allowed to return to their hometowns, and locked in two representatives of the company they were employed with. They pelted police vehicles that arrived at the spot with stones.
The labourers said they were tired of waiting for their turn to go home and alleged that the contractor was apathetic to their plight and financial situation.
84 new cases in Rajasthan
Eight-four new COVID-19 positive cases were detected in Rajasthan today, taking the State's tally to 3,898.
Of them, 2,253 persons have recovered and 1,993 have been discharged. As of now, the State has 1,537 active cases, according to the State Medical and Health Department.
Modi hails those at forefront of research to defeat COVID-19
On the National Technology Day on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed all those at the forefront of research and innovation to defeat coronavirus and remembered the “exceptional achievement” of the country’s scientists in carrying out the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests.
The Prime Minister said, “Today, technology is helping many in the efforts to make the world free from COVID-19. I salute all those at the forefront of research and innovation on ways to defeat coronavirus.”
Facilitate movement of stranded migrants: Home Secretary to States
The Union Home Secretary has written to various States to facilitate movement of stranded migrants by special trains.
"All State governments should ensure that migrant workers do not resort to walking on road and on railway tracks. In case they are found in such condition, they should appropriately be counseled, taken to nearby shelters and provided with food, water etc. till such time they are facilitated to board the Shramik Special trains or buses to their native places," said the letter.
"As requested by Cabinet Secretary all State governments should cooperate in running of more Shramik Special trains so that travel of stranded migrant workers is facilitated at a faster rate," it added.
14 new cases in Odisha
Fourteen new COVID-19 positive case were detected in Odisha on Monday. With this, the total number of infections in the State is 391.
Of the 14 new cases, 12 are in Ganjam and one each in Kendrapara and Sundargarh, said the State Health Department.
Welcome government's decision: Chidambaram
Union Minister P. Chidambaram on Monday welcomed the government's decision to re-start inter-State passenger trains.
"We welcome the decision of the government to cautiously start operations of inter-State passenger trains," he wrote on Twitter.
"The same modest opening should be started with road transport and air transport. The only way economic and commercial activity can effectively begin, is to open road, rail and air services for passengers and goods," he added.
Over 4,200 new cases in India in the past 24 hours: Health Ministry
India has registered 4,213 new COVID-19 positive cases and 97 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to an update from the Union Health Ministry on Monday.
With this, the total number of cases in the country is now 67,152, according to Union Ministry data. Of this, 44,029 are active cases. As many as 2,206 people have succumbed to the infection while 20,916 people have been cured.
Boris Johnson launches new COVID-19 Alert System as lockdown ‘modified’
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has launched a new COVID-19 Alert System and “modified” the UK’s coronavirus lockdown as part of a “conditional plan” which allows people more time outdoors as long as social distancing measures are adhered to.
In a televised address to the nation, Mr. Johnson laid out a five-level alert system that the government will be constantly monitoring based on scientific data to track the rate at which the deadly virus is spreading — referred to as the R rate.
“Though we have made progress in satisfying at least some of the conditions I have given, we have by no means fulfilled all of them. And so no, this is not the time simply to end the lockdown this week. Instead we are taking the first careful steps to modify our measures,” the Prime Minister said on Sunday.
- PTI
China reports 17 more cases amid new infections in Wuhan
China reported 17 new COVID-19 cases for May 10, rising from a day earlier and marking the highest daily increase since April 28, according to official data published on Monday.
Of the new cases, seven were so-called imported cases involving travellers from overseas, compared with two imported infections on May 9.
Railways to restart passenger services in phased manner
The Indian Railways on Sunday said it planned to restart passenger services in a phased manner — initially with 15 pairs of trains — from Tuesday onwards, almost 50 days after the services were stopped amid COVID-19 lockdown.
The announcement comes even as the Centre has extended the lockdown till May 17 to contain the spread of the virus.