Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Online Bookings of Passenger Trains Running from June 1 to Start Tomorrow

Booking for Rail Services to Begin Tomorrow | Indian Railways will start operations of 200 passenger train services from 1st June and booking of all these trains will commence from 10 am on 21st May.

A migrant worker holds a token as he waits to get on a bus to reach a railway station to board a train to his home state of eastern Bihar, during an extended lockdown to slow the spreading of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Ahmedabad. (Reuters)

Two More Pairs of Spl Train to Operate: Southern Railway | South Western Railway has decided to run two pairs of special trains, one between KSR Bengaluru to Belagavi and the other between KSR Bengaluru to Mysuru from May 22: CPRO South Western Railway, Hubbali.

HC Directs DMRC to Take Steps to Maintain Social Distancing | Delhi High Court directs Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to take adequate steps to maintain social distancing once the Metro Rail is permitted to function, particularly, since compartments are fully packed, which can be dangerous in the current COVID-19 pandemic situation.

Railway Board Allows Opening of Catering Units at Stations | The Railway Board has given its nod for the opening of catering and vending units at stations, but said that food plazas and refreshment rooms will open only for takeaways, an order said. These units will include shops for selling packaged goods, essential items, chemist shops, bookstalls and others which were shut soon after the coronavirus crisis hit the country.

Decisions on Migrants, Availability of Credit in Cabinet Meet: Modi | During today’s Cabinet meeting, important decisions were taken which are focused on the welfare of migrants, senior citizens, easier availability of credit, harnessing opportunities in the fisheries sector. They will benefit several citizens: Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Parks, Gardens in NDMC Areas Including Lodhi Garden to Reopen | Parks and gardens in the NDMC area, including Lodhi Garden, Nehru Park and Talkatora Garden, will reopen for public from Thursday, after remaining closed for over two months in view of the COVID-19 lockdown, an official order said.

1,300+ New Cases Mumbai Today | 1,372 more COVID-19 cases and 41 deaths reported in Mumbai today. Total number of cases in the city is now at 23,935, including 841 deaths: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)

Two Mumbai Cops Die of COVID-19 | Two policemen died due to coronavirus infection in Mumbai, an official said. It took the number of police personnel who have died due to the pandemic in Maharashtra to 14, ten of them in Mumbai.

Even COVID-19 Has Not Made Tensions abate in Indo-Pacific: France | Even the coronavirus crisis has not made tensions "abate" in the Indo-Pacific, and both India and France are aware of the ongoing activities in the region, French Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain said, in an oblique reference to China's muscular military deployment in the strategic waters at a time when the world is battling the pandemic.

2,250 Cases in Maharashtra Today | 2,250 new COVID-19 cases and 65 deaths reported in Maharashtra today. Total number of cases in the state is now at 39,297, including 27,581 active cases and 1390 deaths: State Health Department

2,250 Cases in Maharshtra Today | 2,250 new COVID-19 cases and 65 deaths reported in Maharashtra today. Total number of cases in the state is now at 39,297, including 27,581 active cases and 1390 deaths: State Health Department

Cambridge Scraps In-person Lectures for 2020-2021 | Cambridge has become the first university in Britain to cancel all face-to-face lectures for the 2020-21 academic year because of the coronavirus pandemic, after 800 years of welcoming students to its cloisters, quadrangles and classrooms. It likely won't be the last, as the virus threatens the foundations of the traditional student experience, and the finances of universities around the world.

'Micro-identification, Isolation, Treatment Prevented Large-scale Death' | Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said the country's policy of micro-identification, mass isolation and quick treatment helped prevent large scale deaths and spread of COVID-19. Addressing the Non-Aligned Movement Health Ministers' meeting through video conference, Vardhan stressed that human welfare must be the basis of all economic growth.

UPCC President Lallu Arrested Again | UPCC President Ajay Kumar Lallu, who was granted bail by an Agra court and released, was arrested by a team of Lucknow police in connection with a second case filed against him in Hazratganj police station on Tuesday night and is being brought to the state capital, Lallan Kumar said.

Transport Arranged from IGI Airport to Punjab Dists for Returnees | Transport facilities have been arranged at the Facilitation Centre at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi to ensure comfortable return of stranded Punjabis and NRIs who are returning on special flights to their home districts: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh

Delhi Starts Exercise to Demarcate Zones | All of New Delhi may not remain under 'Red' zone as the Delhi government has launched an exercise to define its own 'Red, Orange and Green zones' -- marking of areas based on COVID-19 case load, sources said.

Small Percentage of Domestic Flights to be Started May 25 | Initially, only a small percentage of the total number of domestic flights will be operated from May 25. Then depending on the experience we gain, we will increase the number of flights. It's not viable to keep the middle seat vacant. Even if you keep middle seat vacant you'll still have a situation where prescribed distance for social distancing isn't followed. If you were to do it then you've to hike up airline ticket price by 33%: Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

Northeast Handling COVID-19 Better Than Rest of India: Jitendra Singh | The proactive steps taken by all the northeastern states, coupled with the liberal support offered by the Centre, has helped the region cope up better with the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the rest of India, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said. He said the success is evident from the fact that Sikkim and Nagaland do not have a single COVID-19 positive case till date, while Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram had one patient each, who have since recovered.

Children of migrant workers eat bananas as they wait for a bus to transport them to state borders from where they will be taken to their native places, on the outskirts of Hyderabad. (AP Photo)

Tamil Nadu Case Count | 743 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Tamil Nadu today; taking the total number of cases to 13,191. Death toll rises to 87 with 3 deaths that have been reported today: State Health Department.

Over 2k Ayushman Bharat Beneficiaries Received Free Treatment: Indu Bhushan | While India is slowly easing its lockdown restrictions, the number of Covid-19 cases remains on the rise. Receiving adequate and on-time treatment, apart from monetary and other associated concerns have gripped large sections of the populace, particularly the migrants and the poor. Dr Indu Bhushan, CEO of Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and the National Health Authority speaks to Sneha Mordani.

Noida-Delhi Border to Remain Sealed: GB Nagar Admin | The Noida-Delhi border will remain sealed except for movement of people associated with exempted services, the Gautam Buddh Nagar administration said. However, the administration has allowed re-opening of parks, printing press, dry cleaners while restaurants and sweet shops have been permitted only home delivery or take away.

Renew Registration of 5 lakh construction workers in Delhi: HC | The Delhi High Court asked the AAP government to renew the registrations of over five lakh construction workers who fulfil the eligibility criteria, so that they can be provided relief under its scheme for labourers during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Spread of COVID-19 Controlled to a Large Extent: Maha CM | The Central government feels that the spike in coronavirus cases will be higher by May-end and in June, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said and added that the spread has been controlled to a large extent in the state.

No One Could Have Been Wiser to Migrant Crisis: Nirmala Sitharaman | Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman rebutted criticism that the Centre should have opted for more cash support in its Covid-19 relief package and said giving cash was not the only solution. “For helping the poor, 'it cannot just be that we demanded direct money from the Centre, we got it.’ That’s not the only solution,” Sitahraman said. Read the FM's interview with Marya Shakil here

Domestic Flights May be Made Operational on All Routes | Possible that domestic flights will be made operational on all routes, but the frequency will be graded down. All major airports to be made operational, but passenger load will be lesser, sources said.

Buses Arranged for by Congress Return from Rajasthan-UP Border | Buses arranged by the Congress for the migrant workers started turning back from the Rajasthan-Uttar Pradesh border, a police official said. "The buses are returning now after the Uttar Pradesh government denied entry," said Sarvan Pathak, the incharge of the Chiksana police station in Bharatpur. "There are nearly 400 buses."

Make Quarantine Centres at State Border Points: Uttarakhand HC | At all border points, the state government shall make every possible effort to make functional quarantine centers where people who are returning from red zones shall be kept for a week and those who show symptoms as per ICMR guidelines shall be tested: Uttarakhand High Court

6.39% of Total Active Cases Needed Hospital Support: Health Ministry | Out of the total number of active COVID-19 cases in the country, 6.39 per cent needed hospital support, the Union health ministry said. Joint secretary in the ministry Lav Agarwal also said that about 2.94 per cent of active COVID-19 cases needed oxygen support, three per cent needed intense care units (ICU) and 0.45 per cent required ventilator support.