Coronavirus pandemic live updates: PM Modi interacts with BJP workers

PM Modi lauds BJP workers

"Even during lockdown and threat of coronavirus, you did everything you can to make life easy for lakhs of people - from distributing masks to giving food to the poor."

UP will be seventh and the last to make the presentation after which PM Modi will address the BJP workers

Some believed that COVID-19 will spread more in east India due to high poverty; people proved it wrong: PM Modi to Bihar BJP workers

Bengaluru: Complete lockdown from Saturday 8pm to 5am on Monday

Seven state units of the BJP are giving a presentation about the work done by them during the lockdown.

PM Modi hails presentation by Rajasthan BJP unit Chief Satish Punia about how party carried out social work and helped the needy during the lockdown period

Modi said he was not aware about several things done by the party on Rajasthan and he was pleased to see that the party workers complemented the state government in fight against the Covid-19 crisis.

PM Modi interacts with BJP workers

Tamil Nadu Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami extends intense lockdown in Madurai for a week from July 7 to July 12.

Week-long total lockdown in Arunachal's Capital Complex from July 6, reports PTI

The Arunachal Pradesh government on Saturday announced that a week-long total lockdown will be imposed in the Capital Complex, comprising Itanagar and Nagarlagun, from July 6 in view of the rising number of COVID-19 cases, a top official said on Saturday.

The total lockdown will be imposed at 5 am on July 6 and will be in place till 5 pm on July 12, Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar told reporters here. There will be certain exemptions which would be announced on July 5, Kumar said.

Read: China says G4 swine flu virus not new; does not infect humans easily

China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Saturday that the so-called "G4" strain of swine flu virus is not new and does not infect or sicken humans and animals easily, rebuffing a study published earlier this week.That study, by a team of Chinese scientists and published by the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), warned that a new swine flu virus, named G4, has become more infectious to humans and could become a potential "pandemic virus".

Read: Kolkata to have no flights to & from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chennai, Ahmedabad from July 6

West Bengal had earlier on June 30 asked the Centre to stop flights from some corona hotspots to the state, which too is seeing a rise in corona cases. It had sought no flights at Kolkata and Bagdogra to and from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chennai, Indore, Ahmedabad, Surat for 2 weeks from July 6. It had also sought restricting the number of flights to Kolkata and Bagdogra from other cities to once a week for each airline from July 6-31.

Kolkata to have no flights to & from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chennai and Ahmedabad from July 6 to 19

AIIMS, Rishikesh dedicates new 100-bed ward to Covid-19 patients

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh on Saturday started functioning a new ward with 100 beds for Covid-19 patients. The decision to dedicate a new ward to Covid-19 patients was taken in view of rising cases of the pandemic in the state, said dean hospital administration Brigadier Udai Bhaskar Mishra.

Three India returnees test positive for Covid-19 in Singapore

Two Singaporeans and a permanent resident, who returned from India, have tested positive for Covid-19 in Singapore, the Ministry of Health has said, as the country's total infections rose to 44,664.The three were placed on stay-home notices upon their arrival in Singapore on Jun 21.

Fresh 'unlock 2' guidelines in J&K; religious places to remain closed

Fresh guidelines under the "unlock 2" phase came into effect in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday with the Union Territory administration deciding against opening religious places and educational institutions, but allowing hotels to operate with full capacity.There will be no inter-state and inter-district movement except for those carrying valid passes, while the night curfew from 10 pm to 5 am will continue to remain in force till further orders.

Scientists strike note of caution as 'Made in India' vaccine programme gains momentum

India's Covid-19 vaccine programme has gained sudden traction but it is imperative to strike a balance between giving it high priority and rushing into a process that takes months, even years, several scientists said on Saturday, a day after the ICMR announced it envisaged a preventive by next month.

Cuttack Municipal Corporation announces complete shutdown in city till July 8 after the city reports 13 new local Covid19 positive cases.