J&K's summer capital Srinagar will reopen 50% of its shops from Saturday, first time since the lockdown restrictions were imposed on March 20. “A detailed discussion was held with all trade and business organisations. Mandatory observance of standard operating procedures, including wearing of masks, maintaining physical distancing, hygiene and sanitization, was also laid down," an official order said.
The Delhi government was “trying its best” to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, it said in a statement in response to the Supreme Court’s observations on Friday. Further defending the government, it pointed out that the Lok Nayak Hospital, the biggest COVID-19 hospital in Delhi, had around 2,000 beds operational for the COVID-19 patients.
Here is a list of State Helpline numbers. You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here.
Here are the latest updates:
Mexico prepares to reopen half the country amid pandemic
Mexico began setting dates for re-opening businesses in half the country next week, even as the nationwide daily confirmed cases total rose Friday by a record 5,222 and 504 new deaths were reported.
India on its way to win a ‘wrong race’: Rahul Gandhi
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday put up animated graphics to show how COVID-19 cases are shooting up in India and stated that the country is on its way to win a ‘wrong race’.
“India is firmly on it’s way to winning the wrong race. A horrific tragedy, resulting from a lethal blend of arrogance and incompetence,” Mr. Gandhi wrote on Twitter with the graph that mapped India’s rise in COVID cases.
West Bengal breaches 10,000-mark
West Bengal on Friday recorded the highest single-day increase of 476 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number to 10,244. With nine more deaths, the death toll went up to 451. Four deaths were reported from Kolkata, two from Hooghly and one each from Nadia, South 24 Parganas and Howrah.
Brazil’s coronavirus deaths surge past U.K.
Brazil’s COVID-19 death toll overtook Britain’s on June 12 to become the second highest in the world with 41,828 dead, but the World Health Organization said the nation's health system was standing up to the pressure.
“The system as such from the data we see is not overwhelmed,” the WHO's top emergencies expert Dr. Mike Ryan said, with few areas of Brazil using more than 80% of their hospitals' intensive care bed capacity.
Supreme Court asks Uttar Pradesh to file response on quarantine rules
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to file a response on quarantine rules followed in the State.
The court sought details after it was informed that quarantine guidelines issued in Noida were “contrary” to the national guidelines notified by the Centre.