Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Testing to be Tripled in Delhi in 6 Days, All Houses in Containment Zones to be Surveyed, Says Amit Shah

Covid-19 Update | Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to extend the benefits under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for another six months, in view of Covid-19 crisis to facilitate free supply of wheat and pulses to beneficiaries of National Food Security Act.

Update | An updated Clinical Management Protocol for Covid-19 has been released by Ministry of Health in which drug Remdesivir has been included as “investigational therapy” only for restricted emergency use purposes along with off label use of Tocilizumab and Convalescent Plasma, reports ANI. 

Shah Transfers 4 IAS Officers to Delhi Govt to Assist Covid-19 Fight | Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday ordered the immediate transfer of four IAS officers to the Delhi government and attachment of another two from the Centre to help the national capital fight the coronavirus pandemic.

UP Records 499 New Covid-19 Cases | Health officials said Uttar Pradesh recorded 499 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, taking total number of infections in the state to 4,948. A total of 8,268 people (60.72 per cent) have recovered while 399 others lost their lives due to the disease. 

Covid-19 Cases in Thane Police Reach 269, 50 in Palghar | The number of police personnel who have tested positive for novel coronavirus in Palghar in Maharashtra reached 50 after two men from the force were detected with the infection. In Thane city, there were 269 Covid-19 cases in the police force, and two have died of the infection.

Figures on the number of Covid-19 infections from across India reveal that 63% of the country's coronavirus patients are concentrated in 15 cities.

No Question of Reimposition of Lockdown: Karnataka Min | "The question of lockdown is not in front of us. There is such speculation as the Prime Minister is holding a video conference with all Chief Ministers on June 16 and 17. On June 17 our state will be taking part in it at around 3 pm," said Karnataka Medical Education Minister, K Sudhakar.

Cops, Not Civic Bodies, to Fine People for not Wearing Masks | A circular issued by the Gujarat government has entrusted police instead of civic bodies with the collection of fines from people for not wearing masks amid the coronavirus outbreak, officials said on Sunday. The fine for not wearing masks when in public is Rs 200 in the state.

AP Covid-19 Tally Update | Andhra Pradesh reported 253 new coronavirus cases and two deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases in the state to 4,841. The tally includes 2,034 active cases and 84 deaths. 

No Question of Reimposition of Lockdown, Says Karnataka Minister | Karnataka Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar on Sunday said there was no question of reimposition of the lockdown amid speculation that it would be done. "The question of lockdown is not in front of us. There is such speculation as the Prime Minister is holding a video conference with all Chief Ministers on June 16 and 17. On June 17 our state will be taking part in it at around 3 pm," Sudhakar said in response to a question.

Spain to Open Borders to EU Schengen Countries on June 21, Say Reports | Meanwhile, Spain will open its borders to countries in the European Union's Schengen area on June 21, except for Portugal where the border will open on July 1 as previously announced, Spanish media including El Pais newspaper and Ser radio station reported.

Tamil Nadu CM Assures Covid-19 Affected AIADMK MLA All Medical Aid | Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Sunday spoke to a party MLA admitted to a private hospital with COVID-19 and assured him of all necessary medical assistance. The chief minister had a telephonic conversation with Sriperumbudur legislator K Palani, who was admitted to a private hospital in the city, an official release here said. Palaniswami told his junior colleague that he has asked state Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar to ensure all necessary medical assistance to him.

May Re-introduce Screening of All Train Pax, Says Goa Minister |The Goa government may re-introduce screening for all people arriving in the state by trains in view of the rise in COVID-19 cases, state health minister Vishwajit Rane said on Sunday. The standard operating procedures (SOPs) introduced by the Pramod Sawant government recently had laid down that people could skip coronavirus testing on arrival if they agree to stay in home quarantine for 14 days.

COVID-19 Cases Near 4000-mark in Assam | The novel coronavirus cases in Assam inched towards the 4,000 mark on Sunday with 43 more people testing positive for the infection, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. Fourteen of the new cases were from Nagaon district, followed by 10 each in Golaghat and Kamrup, two each in Jorhat, Baksa and Chirang, and one each in Karbi Anglong, Dhemaji and Bongaigaon, Sarma tweeted.

Team of Doctors Will Visit Hospitals in Delhi, Says Home Minister | A joint team of doctors of the Health Department of the Government of India, Health Department of the Government of Delhi, AIIMS and the three Municipal Corporation of Delhi will visit all the coronavirus designated hospitals in Delhi and inspect the health systems and preparedness to fight the corona and prepare a report.

भारत सरकार के स्वास्थ्य विभाग, दिल्ली सरकार के स्वास्थ्य विभाग, AIIMS और दिल्ली के तीनों म्युनिसिपल कारपोरेशन के डॉक्टर्स की एक संयुक्त टीम दिल्ली के सभी कोरोना अस्पतालों में जाकर वहाँ की स्वास्थ्य व्यवस्थाओं व कोरोना से लड़ने की तैयारियों का निरीक्षण कर एक रिपोर्ट तैयार करेगी।

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 14, 2020

"Considering the increase in demand for medical infrastructure, we have come here to inspect the area and check its feasibility," Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal said during his visit. 

#WATCH Considering the increase in demand for medical infrastructure, we have come here to inspect the area&check its feasibility. The decision to convert this campus into a COVID facility will be taken after analysis of several factors: Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. #Delhi https://t.co/k4yxnm6Wav pic.twitter.com/iEcKpuPQEJ

— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2020

L-G Anil Baijal Inspects Radha Soami Satsang Beas Campus | Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Sunday inspected Radha Soami Satsang Beas campus in Chhattarpur area for setting up a facility with 10,000 beds for coronavirus patients, news agency ANI reported.

Delhi: Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal today inspected Radha Soami Satsang Beas campus in Chhattarpur area for setting up a facility with 10,000 beds for #COVID19 patients. pic.twitter.com/a1TJvqSaQ2

— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2020

Centre has assured the Delhi government it will meet the necessary resources like oxygen cylinders, ventilators, pulse oximeters and all other requirements to fight this epidemic.

IIT Innovations Take Commercial Route to Aid COVID-19 Fight | Low-cost portable ventilators, affordable COVID-19 test kits, drones for sanitisation, specialised digital stethoscopes, disposable bamboo furniture for makeshift isolation wards and "infection-proof fabric" for hospitals -- these are among several innovations, by IITs across the country during the lockdown period, which are ready to the hit the market to aid the fight against COVID-19. The innovations have taken commercial route either through IIT-incubated startups or the premiere institutes have given license to companies keeping the patent rights with themselves, PTI reported.

18 More Covid-19 Cases in Puducherry Takes Tally to 194 |  Eighteen more COVID-19 cases in Puducherry took the tally of infections to 194 on Sunday, while fatalities remained at four with no fresh deaths being reported.

Western Australia Reports Zero Coronavirus Cases |  WA Western Australia has reported no new cases of Covid-19 overnight, with the State’s total number of cases remaining at 602, according to the WA Department of Health.

Covid-19 May Trigger New Diabetes, Experts Say | COVID-19 may trigger the onset of diabetes in healthy people, and also cause severe complications in diabetic patients, according to an international group of 17 leading experts in the chronic condition. Based on clinical observations made so far, the scientists, including Stephanie A. Amiel from King's College London in the UK, said there is a bi-directional relationship between COVID-19 and diabetes.

Testing for COVID-19 to be doubled in the next couple of days in Delhi and in 6 days, tripled: Union Home Minister Amit Shah. 

Modi govt is committed to control spread of #COVID19 in Delhi. Today, several important decisions were taken to protect people of Delhi & to prevent this infection, in the meeting held with Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Delhi LG Anil Baijal & CM Arvind Kejriwal: HM Amit Shah pic.twitter.com/1vNcW8eFr7

— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2020

UPDATE | Aarogya setu app is now compulsory for residents in containment zones. 

Home Minister Amit Shah on meet with LG, Delhi CM

देश की राजधानी दिल्ली में कोरोना संक्रमण को रोकने के लिए मोदी सरकार कटिबद्ध है।

आज स्वास्थ्य मंत्री @drharshvardhan, @LTGovDelhi और मुख्यमंत्री @arvindkejriwal व वरिष्ठ अधिकारियों के साथ बैठक कर दिल्ली की जनता की सुरक्षा व इस संक्रमण को रोकने के लिए कई महत्तवपूर्ण निर्णय लिए।

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 14, 2020

No lockdown extension for national capital, was not on review meeting, said sources. 

Delhi Truck Driver Tests Positive for Covid-19 After Death in HP |  A 19-year-old truck driver from Delhi, who died in an accident in Shimla, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, a senior health official said.  The man had sustained injuries while unloading goods in the city on Saturday night. 

Hit Hard by Lockdown, Goa Museums Wait for Govt Nod to Reopen | Owners of Goa's heritage museums, which were struggling to stay afloat due to the COVID-19 crisis, are hopeful that the state government will allow them to reopen their premises for visitors soon.

Tibetan activists say policies being imposed by the Communist Party of China in Hong Kong bear resemblance to what the Chinese government has been doing in other regions like Tibet.

UK Government Losing Public Approval Over Handling of Virus | Less than a third of the public now approve of the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the latest Opinion poll for the Observer. The poll found that approval of the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis is down four points to a new low. Only three in 10 people approve government for its handling of the pandemic, reports The Guardian.