Swab test in progress at Sane Guruji Smarak school near Dandekar bridge organised by PMC amid lockdown due to COVID-19 on Thursday. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)
Coronavirus India News Live Updates: In a biggest spike in the number of cases, India reported 6,088 fresh cases in the last 24 hours taking the total number of coronavirus infections to 118,447. The death toll due to the coronavirus pandemic rose to 3,583 on Friday and of the total tally, as many as 48,533 people have been treated and discharged so far. India has the 11th highest cases across the world. Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state in the country with 41,642 active cases. Apart from the infection, West Bengal and Odisha are now also
Meanwhile, days after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the five tranches of Rs 20 lakh crore economic package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das will hold a press conference at 10 am Friday.
The Home Ministry Thursday issued a statement to states, saying guidelines for lockdown 4.0 are not being implemented properly. The ministry asked the states to delineate zones properly along its directions and emphasized the need for night curfew.
The Civil Aviation Ministry Thursday said that only one-third flight services will be resumed on May 25 and passengers with only web check-in will be allowed to travel. Only one baggage will be allowed for check-in and no in-flight meal services will be allowed as per the guidelines. The Airports Authority of India issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for recommencement of domestic flight, making the use of Aarogya Setu app mandatory for those above 14 years. There will be sanitisation of baggage before entering the airport and strict social distancing measures will be in place.
Globally, 5,102,424 people have been infected with the virus, while 3,32,524 have died. The United States has recorded almost 95,000 deaths so far. As scientists across the world work frantically to find a vaccine against COVID-19, all eyes are on US-based company Moderna’s encouraging early results on a small group of healthy volunteers. Despite the continued increase in cases, many countries are opening schools and workplaces following weeks of lockdown that have stemmed the spread.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation will share standard operating procedures with all airports and airlines. (File Photo)
Students, IT proffesionals and labourers at the first special train to Kashmir that left from Pune amid lockdown 4.0
In a biggest spike in the number of cases, India reported 6,088 fresh cases in the last 24 hours taking the total number of coronavirus infections to 118,447. The death toll due to the coronavirus pandemic rose to 3,583 on Friday and of the total tally, as many as 48,533 people have been treated and discharged so far. India has the 11th highest cases across the world. Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state in the country with 41,642 active cases.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan will take over as chairman of WHO executive board at 3.30 pm today. India is a member state of the South East Asia Region at the WHO. Last year, the bloc had unanimously decided that India’s nominee would be elected to the executive board for a three-year term beginning May.
One employee of the Lok Sabha secretariat has been tested COVID-19 positive. Sealing and disinfection is underway.
President Donald Trump says he will order the US flag to be flown at half-staff over the next three days as the death toll from COVID-19 surpasses 95,000. Trump tweeted Thursday: "I will be lowering the flags on all Federal Buildings and National Monuments to half-staff over the next three days in memory of the Americans we have lost to the CoronaVirus." He said the flags will continue to be flown at half-staff on Memorial Day in honor of those in the military who died serving their country. The move follows a request from Democratic leaders to do so to recognize a ?sad day of reckoning when we reach 100,000 deaths.
As the Covid lockdown translates to widespread distress, several High Courts, Madras to Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka to Gujarat, are raising questions of officials and governments. On May 15, hearing a plea seeking the safe return of over 400 migrant workers detained at the Maharashtra border to Tamil Nadu, a division bench of the Madras High Court put 12 questions to the state and the Centre on how it was dealing with the migrant crisis set off by the lockdown. Read More here
After negotiating for several days with private hospitals, the Maharashtra government Thursday night issued a notification taking over 80 per cent beds in private hospitals and nursing homes across the state. In Mumbai alone, this will open up around 4,400 hospital beds in the private sector. The city has been struggling with a shortage of beds to treat critically ill Covid-19 patients. With 41,642 Covid-19 cases, Maharashtra accounts for a third of all cases in India. The notification covers hospitals run by charitable trusts, including all the big Mumbai hospitals such as H N Reliance, Lilavati, Breach Candy, Jaslok, Bombay Hospital, Bhatia, Wockhardt, Nanavati, Fortis, L H Hiranandani and P D Hinduja among others.
An imminent threat of more than one airline folding up, both on account of the extended lockdown and little to no relief in the economic package announced by the Finance Minister last week, is learnt to be the reason behind a sudden reversal in the Centre’s stanceover a span of just three days, government officials told The Indian Express. On Sunday, May 17, the government announced domestic travel will remain prohibited till May 31. In just three days, the government on Thursday moved a fresh amendment in the guidelines for permitting passenger flights May 25 onwards. Read More
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das will hold a press conference at 10 am today.
Maharashtra recorded 2,345 new Covid-19 cases with 64 deaths on Thursday. With this, the state has recorded 41,642 cases and 1,454 deaths so far.
At 1,408, it also discharged the highest number of patients on Thursday, taking the count of total recoveries to 11,726. Although the recovery rate is slower than the rest of India, Maharashtra is discharging around 800 to 1,000 patients every day. Read more here
Starting Friday, when the state starts implementing new guidelines for designated red zones and non-red zones, Mumbai does not get any relaxations, barring the opening of non-essential shops from 9 am to 5 pm for non-commercial purpose of upkeep or maintenance of material, plant and machinery.
Also, pre-monsoon works at both public and private properties will be allowed to begin, but only with permission from the local ward office. Read more here
With its operations shut since the nationwide lockdown was announced in March, the Mumbai Metro has now begun drawing up protocols with a focus on social distancing for resuming services after the prohibitory orders are lifted and public transportation allowed. Read more here
Less than 24 hours after the state government conducted a press conference defending ventilators manufactured by Rajkot-based Jyoti CNC, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said that they would cancel the order.
Posting on Twitter from his official handle, V Narayanasamy said, “Lot of controversy has arisen about the functioning of #Dhaman-1. By-pat mechine (sic) from #Gujarat Rajkot. I discussed with Hon'ble Health Minister, Govt of #Puducherry. We will cancel the order Letter has been sent to them to that effect.” Read more here
The Delhi police has decided to reduce the amount given to its personnel who get infected with the coronavirus while on duty from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10,000 after the number of infections increased rapidly in the force, officials said on Thursday. They said over 250 police personnel have been infected with the virus.
In April, when 25-30 policemen were infected, the Delhi police had decided to give Rs 1 lakh from the Delhi Police Welfare Society to the personnel, according to officials. "A meeting was held recently and it was decided that the sanction amount should be reduced. A lot of policemen are getting infected with the virus and the amount has to be distributed equally in such cases. So a decision was taken to reduce the amount from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10,000," a senior police officer said.
Most policemen are treated at government hospitals and the department helps them with medicines and treatment, he said.(PTI)
A 45-year-old woman police constable posted in Thane city succumbed to Covid-19 on Thursday. The woman has been identified as Pratibha Gawli and she is the first female police to have succumbed to coronavirus. Officials said that the woman passed away hours after she tested positive for the virus. She was posted at Shree Nagar police station in Thane. An officer said, “As she complained of breathlessness, she was admitted in a private hospital on Wednesday.” Her swabs were then taken and sent for the Covid-19 test.
“Her reports came in the afternoon which confirmed that she was infected. However later in the evening she succumbed to the infection,” said an officer. So far in Maharashtra, 1388 policemen have tested positive for the infection and as many as 15 policemen have died due to Covid-19. (Express News Service)
Over 2,500 migrant workers had to return disappointed on Thursday afternoon after two Uttar Pradesh-bound trains were cancelled at the last minute.
The workers, who live in slums in northern suburbs, had gathered at a ground in Mahavir Nagar, Kandivali West at 12 pm on Thursday. They were to board three Shramik Special trains to Uttar Pradesh at Borivali railway station in the afternoon.
However, just as they were to board BEST buses to head to the station, the Railways informed the police that trains to Gorakhpur and Jaunpur had been cancelled.
On Thursday, Assam reported 25 new cases of infection, increasing the COVID-19 tally to 210. The cases were reported from quarantine centres set up in various parts of the state to house residents who have been coming back to the state.
In view of this rise, state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced an approach of ‘ruthless quarantine, with human heart’ to curb the spread of the infection. He also said that the government will do away with the earlier policy of optional paid quarantine and said that the state will bear the entire cost. The new cases were reported from Tezpur, Guwahati, Barpeta and Kokrajhar, among others. Six persons were also discharged after testing negative in Guwahati and Silchar. The state now has 149 active cases and reported four deaths so far.
Tora Agarwala reports from Guwahati
The railways will open its reservation counters at select stations for booking of only reserved tickets from May 22, the Railway Board said in an order on Thursday. It said it will also allow reservation of reserved tickets from common service centres (CSC) and through ticketing agents with effect from Friday.
A 55-year-old man accommodated at a quarantine centre near here on his return from Mumbai allegedly committed suicide early Thursday, reportedly due to fear of coronavirus, police said. More details here.
Railway Ministry has decided to open reservation counters and common service centers for booking reserved tickets for 200 trains that'll run from June 20.
A 43-year-old constable, who was with the Traffic Control Branch of Pune City Police and was battling Covid-19 infection, passed away on Thursday morning.
Constable Deepak Sawant had tested positive on May 10 and was recently put on ventilator support while being treated at a private hospital in the city, said a police official. He died on Thursday morning. He was with the Samarth Traffic Division of Pune Police.
Pune City Police Commissioner K Venkatesham tweeted, “My colleague in Pune City Police force, constable Deepak Nathuram Sawant, who was bravely fighting the battle against coronavirus, achieved martyrdom today morning. Tributes on behalf of the police force.” Read more