Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Kejriwal Says Talks with Shah Focused on Preventing Covid-19 Spread in NCR

A Peek Into Livelihood Scheme for Migrant Workers | Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave glimpse of the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan scheme which is aimed at providing livelihood opportunities to migrant workers who returned to their home states during the coronavirus lockdown. Read full article here

A Peek Into Livelihood Scheme for Migrant Workers | Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave glimpse of the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan scheme which is aimed at providing livelihood opportunities to migrant workers who returned to their home states during the coronavirus lockdown. Read full article here

Delhi to Receive 6L Antigen Test Kits | Delhi to be 6,00,000 antigen test kits by a South Korean company for testing in containment zones and hospitals. Yesterday, 50,000 kits were given, and another 50,000 will be given out tomorrow. Within next 4-5 days, the entire lot will be delivered in phases to the Delhi government.

Andhra Pradesh Covid-19 Count | The COVID-19 surge continued unabated in Andhra Pradesh with a record single day high of 425 new cases being added, taking the overall tally to 7,496. The coronavirus toll also continued its upward trend as two more patients died in Krishna district, making it a total of 92 so far in the state, according to the latest bulletin.

Kejriwal inspects covid-19 care centre at the Radha Soami Satsang Beas in Chhatarpur.

Inspected Delhi govt's upcoming 10,000 bed Covid Care Centre at the Radha Soami Satsang Beas grounds at Chhatarpur. A small section of the beds will also have oxygen support. #DelhiFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/htSW9uEQSi

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 18, 2020

IIT Madras' Measures against Covid-19 | IIT Madras Director Prof Bhaskar Ramamurthi spoke to News18.com on the institute retaining it's number one spot in MHRD's list of top engineering institutes in India on one hand and slipping in the QS World University Rankings 2021 on the other. He discusses how the premier institute used smart bins, 3D-printed PPEs and wearable trackers in its fight against Covid-19. Read his interview with Eram Agha here

Delhi and NCR Can't be Separated: Kejriwal | The discussion with Home Minister Amit Shah was focussed on how we can save the entire NCR unit from Covid-19 because the NCR can't be separated. Delhi, Gurugram, Noida and Faridabad are the same: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

Assam Covid-19 Count | One more person died of COVID- 19 in Assam, raising the death toll due to coronavirus in the state to nine, while 82 people tested positive taking the total number of cases to 4,777, Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

EU in Advanced Talks with Johnson & Johnson on Vaccine Deal | The European Commission is in advanced talks with pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson to reserve or buy up-front doses of its COVID-19 vaccine under development, two officials familiar with the talks told Reuters.  The Commission's deal with the US firm is "in the pipeline", a top health official from an EU member state said, asking to remain anonymous as was mentioning confidential discussions about vaccines between the EU executive and EU governments.

EU in Advanced Talks with Johnson & Johnson on Vaccine Deal | The European Commission is in advanced talks with pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson to reserve or buy up-front doses of its COVID-19 vaccine under development, two officials familiar with the talks told Reuters.  The Commission's deal with the US firm is "in the pipeline", a top health official from an EU member state said, asking to remain anonymous as was mentioning confidential discussions about vaccines between the EU executive and EU governments.

EU in Advanced Talks with Johnson & Johnson on Vaccine Deal | The European Commission is in advanced talks with pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson to reserve or buy up-front doses of its COVID-19 vaccine under development, two officials familiar with the talks told Reuters.  The Commission's deal with the US firm is "in the pipeline", a top health official from an EU member state said, asking to remain anonymous as was mentioning confidential discussions about vaccines between the EU executive and EU governments.

Amma Canteens to Resume Free Food during 12-day Lockdown | The ruling AIADMK's flagship Amma Canteens will provide free food for 12 days from Friday onwards in Chennai and three neighbouring districts where the lockdown curbs are being tightened to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said. Food will also be provided through community kitchens and home delivered to select sections of the population such as the aged, he said in a statement.

Maha CM Calls for Low-key Ganpati Festival | Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray called for a simple and low-key Ganpati festival celebration this year in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, and asked Ganesh mandals to undertake social welfare programmes. Thackeray said the threat of coronavirus is not yet over and therefore, it will not be possible to celebrate the Ganesh festival with the usual pomp and gaiety. He said there should be no crowding or processions during the festival.

16 Residents of Slum in Kolkata Test +ve | At least 16 slum dwellers in Kolkata's Bagbazar area here have tested positive for COVID-19, following which they were sent to a quarantine centre on the outskirts of the metropolis, sources in the state health department said.

Jharkhand Bans Tobacco Products | Jharkhand bans consumption of all types of tobacco products at public places in the entire state, in view of rising Covid-19 cases.

Covid-19 Testing in Delhi | Two important developments in Covid-19 testing in Delhi: 

1. The price of testing for Covid-19 has been reduced to Rs 2,400. 

2. Starting today, Delhi has started rapid antigen tests, the results of which become available within 15 minutes.

I hope the people of Delhi will not face any problems in testing now.

दिल्ली में करोना की टेस्टिंग -आज दो महत्वपूर्ण घटनायें हुईं

1. दिल्ली में टेस्टिंग के रेट घटाकर 2400 रुपए किए

2. आज से दिल्ली में रैपिड ऐंटिजेन टेस्टिंग शुरू हुई जिसके नतीजे 15 मिनट में आ जाते हैं

उम्मीद करता हूँ कि अब दिल्ली के लोगों को टेस्टिंग की कोई समस्या नहीं होगी

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 18, 2020

UP Covid-19 Count | A total 630 new COVID-19 cases were reported in UP in last 24 hours. There are 5,659 active cases, while 9,638 people have been discharged after making full recovery from the disease. A total of 488 people have succumbed to it: Principal Health Secretary Amit Mohan Prasad

1,00,000+ Cases in Bangladesh | Bangladesh's coronavirus cases cross the 100,000-mark after 3,803 new COVID-19 infections were reported in the last 24 hours, the health authorities said. The death toll due to the COVID-19 rose to 1,343 after 38 people died, according to the health directorate.

The World Health Organization is looking at interim data from its large multi-country trial of the combination of HIV drugs Lopinavir and Ritonavir to treat Covid-19 patients, the UN agency’s chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said. 

The Solidarity Trial's hydroxychloroquine arm is being stopped, on the basis of evidence showing it does not reduce mortality for hospitalised #COVID19 patients.

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) June 17, 2020

28-Year-Old Excise Personnel Dies of COVID-19 in Kerala | A 28-year old Excise department personnel in Kerala died of COVID-19, taking the toll due to the disease to 21, officials said. Sunil K P attached to Mattannur Excise office in Kannur district died at the Medical College Hospital here, two days after he tested positive for the virus, a senior health official said.

India reported its first death on March 12 which means that it took 96 days to cross 10,000 deaths – the slowest (in terms of the number of days) amongst the eight countries.

UPDATE |  New coronavirus infections hit record highs in six United States on Tuesday, marking a rising tide of cases for a second consecutive week as most states moved forward with reopening their economies.

Greek Community in Lockdown After Spike in Cases |  Greek civil protection authorities have imposed a seven-day complete lockdown on a community in northeastern Greece, after a spike in coronavirus cases there over the past week. Residents of the Echinos community in the province of Xanthi are forbidden from leaving the area. 

586 COVID-19 positive cases reported in Himachal Pradesh so far, including six deaths and 368 recovered state health. 

Singapore Reports 257 New Cases Among Foreigners | Singapore confirmed 257 new COVID-19 infections among foreign workers, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 41,473. The new patients include four community cases, including one permanent resident (foreigner), the health ministry said.

Indonesia Reports Record High Cases | Indonesia has reported 1,331 new coronavirus infections, its biggest daily increase since the outbreak started locally, taking its total number of cases to 42,762. Achmad Yurianto, a health ministry official, said 63 more deaths were reported, with total fatalities now at 2,339, the highest coronavirus death toll in East Asia outside of China.

Bangladeshi Group Sends Cards, Baskets to Covid-19 Patients | Volunteers working for a  foundation, known for its food assistance programmes for street children and the poor are now sending baskets and cards to Covid-19 patients. This is to build awareness of COVID-19 among families of virus' victims and the community. Its efforts have been inspired by news reports of neglect of victims, or hostility toward them.

HC Asks Health Ministry to Consider Publishing Certain Changes in Pics on Wearing Mask | The Delhi High Court has asked the health ministry to consider publicising in print and electronic media with certain changes in the pictorial presentation of how and when to wear face mask' during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bench also turned down a request by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to grant some relaxation for the temple management to conduct certain rituals after observing the norms.

UPDATE | Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel, has urged the European Union to reach an agreement €750bn stimulus package by the end of July to help European economy recover from the impact of the pandemic, AFP reports.