COVID-19 India April 10 Highlights: Delhi halves occupancy at theatres, weddings; DRDO to set up 500-bed hospital in 7 days

All swimming pools will remain shut, except the ones being used for training of sportspersons for participation in national & international events: Delhi Disaster Management Authority. GNCTD

In view of the rising COVID19 cases & to meet the shortage of resident doctors in Delhi, tenure of presently working SRs/JRs, whose tenure has completed on March 31 or is completing soon, can be extended for a period of 6 months: GNCT Health & Family Welfare Department - ANI

DRDO to set up the COVID19 hospital with 500 beds equipped with ICU facilities by next Sunday in Delhi Cantt. The first 250 beds would be ready in the first 7 days. Doctors would be provided by both military and paramilitary forces for treating patients: DRDO officials - ANI

Maharashtra on Saturday reported 55,411 fresh coronavirus positive cases and 309 fatalities, taking the tally to 33,43,951 and the toll to 57,638, the state health department said. Maharashtra is now left with 5,36,682 active cases. A total of 53,005 people were discharged during the day, taking the count of recoveries in Maharashtra so far to 27,48,153, it said in a release. The case recovery rate is 82.18 per cent while the fatality rate is 1.72 per cent. - PTI

The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday announced that effective April 11, people would not be allowed entry to beaches in Chennai and two other nearby districts on weekend and all government holidays. As COVID-19 cases continued to rise in the state, especially here and in neighbouring districts, the government said beaches in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Chengelpet districts would be out of bounds for the public on "Saturday, Sunday and all other government holidays." Outlining fresh restriction and relaxations, the government, in an official release, said one additional screening of new movies would be allowed in cinemas during the first week of release, over and above the already permitted shows (four shows a day, usually). - PTI

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said the number of active COVID-19 cases in the state might reach one lakh by the end of this month given the spike in infection count. The state has 32,707 active cases. "The way there is a spike in coronavirus infection cases, the number of active cases in Madhya Pradesh may reach one lakh by the end of this month. We will try to stop this in the middle as we have started adopting some measures, including lockdown," he told reporters. - PTI

The Patiala Health Department on Saturday banned the entry of outsiders inside the National Institute of Sports (NIS) due to the rising cases of COVID-19 across the country. India's elite athletes including the Olympic-bound ones train at Patiala and their functional area is already in the "Green Zone" and out of bounds for anyone residing outside the campus. - PTI

The Gujarat State Election Commission (SEC) on Saturday decided to postpone the elections to the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation, scheduled to be held on April 18, due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, an official statement said. The elections are postponed for an indefinite period following a request made by the main political parties including the BJP, the Congress and the AAP, and many social groups, it said. - PTI

Nagaland's COVID-19 caseload surged to 12,400 on Saturday as 12 more persons tested positive for the infection, a health official said. The state now has 157 active cases, while 11,990 people have recovered from the disease, 91 patients have succumbed to the infection and 162 have migrated to other states, he said. 12 +ve cases of COVID-19 reported today. Dimapur- 7, Kohima- 4, Mokokchung- 1. And, 2 +ve patients of COVID-19 have recovered at Kohima, Health Minister S Pangnyu Phom tweeted. - PTI

With the total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossing 10 crore, the Union Health Ministry on Saturday said that India is the fastest nation to administer 100 million doses in 85 days. The US took 89 days to administer 10 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine, while China took 102 days to cross the same number, it said. In terms of the number of daily doses administered globally, India continues to remain at the top with an average of 38,93,288 doses administered per day, the ministry said. The US had administered 92.09 million doses in 85 days, while China and the UK administered 61.42 million doses and 21.32 million doses, respectively, in 85 days, it said. - PTI

Himachal Pradesh reports 941 new COVID19 positive cases, 358 cured cases and 12 deaths, in the last 24 hours. Total number of cases now stands at 69,114. - ANI

With rising COVID19 cases despite the strict protocols, healthcare system is likely to face more pressure in the coming days. Chief Minister will hold a meeting with task force tomorrow, after which, a further decision will be taken: Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik - ANI

A 'Tika Utsav' or vaccine festival will be marked in the country from April 11-14 at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with an aim to inoculate maximum number of eligible people against the coronavirus amid a surge in cases. Several states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are gearing up with appeals being made to eligible people to get themselves vaccinated during the duration of the 'Tika Utsav'. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also issued an appeal to people to get vaccinated in large numbers during the 'Tika Utsav'.  Read detailed report here

Maharashtra: Mumbai reports 9327 new COVID19 positive case and 50 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 5,10,225. - ANI

Delhi recorded 7,897 fresh cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, while 39 more people died due to the infection, taking the death toll to 11,235, according to the city Health Department. The positivity rate also mounted to 10.21 per cent, breaching the 10 per cent for the first time this year. The positivity rate mid-November last year had stood above 15 per cent. On Friday, 8,521 cases and 39 deaths were recorded. This was also the first time that over 8,000 cases had been recorded in a day this year amid a massive spike in cases in the span of the last few weeks. The highest single-day spike in Delhi till date -- 8,593 cases -- was reported on November 11 in 2020, while on November 19, the national capital had recorded 131 COVID-19 deaths, the highest single-day fatality count till date. (PTI)

With 48 fresh deaths, the coronavirus fatality count in Uttar Pradesh climbed to 9,085 as 12,787 new cases took the state's infection numbers to 6,76,739, according to a government statement. Twenty-three deaths were reported from state capital Lucknow, followed by six in Kanpur, two each in Varanasi, Allahabad, Muzaffarnagarar and Kushinagar and one each in Moradabad, Ballia, Ayodhya, Mathura, Rae Bareli, Rampur, Gonda, Sonbhadra, Farrukhabad, Banda and Pilibhit, the statement said. (PTI)

Uttarakhand reports 1,233 new COVID19 cases, 317 recoveries and three deaths in the last 24 hours (ANI)

Total cases: 1,07,479Active cases: 6,241Death toll: 1,752Total recoveries: 97,644

Chandigarh reports 398 new COVID19 cases, taking the total number of cases to 30,341 (ANI)

Kerala Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan on Saturday tested positive for COVID-19. In a Facebook post, Sreeramakrishnan said he has tested positive for the infection and was under observation at his official residence here. He also requested all those who had come in contact with him in recent days to quarantine themselves. Customs officials had recorded the statement of the speaker in the dollar smuggling case on Friday. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy have also tested positive for the virus and have been hospitalised. (PTI)

The Madhya Pradesh government on Saturday decided to extend the lockdown in several cities, including commercial hub Indore, till April 19 amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the state, an official said. Besides, the lockdown in some other districts has been extended till April 22, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajesh Rajora informed. (PTI)

Singer Palash Sen on Saturday said that he has tested positive for coronavirus, despite taking the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. In a statement posted on Instagram, the Euphoria singer said he is currently under home quarantine and fighting the disease with the help of "yoga, ayurveda, hydration and rock n roll". "Today is not a good news day. But today is the day I begin a new fight. Unfortunately, I have tested positive for COVID-19 and I'm under home quarantine. I'm fighting this disease with a regular dose of rest, yoga, ayurveda, hydration and rock n roll," Sen, 55, wrote. (PTI)

Kerala reports 6,194 new COVID-19 cases, 2,584 recoveries and 17 deaths in the last 24 hours

Active cases: 39,778Death toll: 4,767 Total recoveries: 11,15,342. (ANI)

540 new COVID19 cases, 1 death and 167 recoveries reported in Goa today; case tally at 61,779. (ANI)

Nagpur district on Saturday reported 5,131 COVID-19 cases and 65 deaths from the infection, taking the tally to 2,71,355 and the toll to 5,706, an official said. The number of people who were discharged during the day was 2,837, taking the recovery count in the district to 2,14,073, he added. The active caseload in Nagpur is 51,576, the official said. With 20,666 samples being examined on Saturday, the number of tests in Nagpur went up to 18,01,237. (PTI)

Maharashtra BJP leader and MLA from Nilanga in Latur Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar on Saturday said he had tested positive for coronavirus. Providing information on social media, the former state minister said he was in home isolation and that his condition was stable. "Citizens who have come in contact with me in the last few days should test and take care of the family," he tweeted. (PTI)

Karnataka government on Saturday made it clear that it would not hold back any examination or stop academic activities due to COVID-19. "The examinations at university-level, including degree, post-graduation, engineering, diploma and all other courses, will be conducted as per schedule. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan told reporters here. Narayan, who holds the higher education portfolio, said the academic activities for the year 2021-22 have already been delayed and there should not be further delay. If delayed, the cycle of course period, test, results, employment, further studies would get cut, he said. (PTI)

Odisha's COVID-19 tally mounted to 3,48,182 as the state registered this year's highest single-day spike of 1,374 new cases on Saturday, a health official said. Two fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 1,926, he said. Of the new cases, 812 were reported in quarantine centres, while 562 detected during contact tracing. Sundergarh district recorded the highest number of fresh cases at 355, followed by Khurda (193), Nuapada (135), Sambalpur (77), Bargarh (59), Jharsuguda (52), Cuttack (51), Rayagada (47) and Kalahandi (45). (PTI)

The weekend lockdown imposed across Maharashtra to bring under control the COVID-19 surge, has elicited a positive reponse from people so far with the streets and markets in most parts of the state, including Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad and Nagpur, wearing a deserted look, officials said on Saturday. However, at some locations in the state, including some market areas in Mumbai, people were seen flouting social distancing and other norms by gathering at one place in large numbers. The first weekend lockdown in the state began at 8 pm on Friday and it will continue till 7 am on Monday. (PTI)

A woman, whose age according to her Aadhaar card is 106 years, received her first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Bhopal district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday. The woman was administered the dose at an inoculation facility in Berasia area near here, a state public relations department official said. After getting the jab, Kamli Bai, a resident of Bilkho village, said that the vaccine may help tide over the pandemic. (PTI)

The Gujarat government is not in favour of imposing a lockdown in the state considering its impact on the poor despite the rise in coronavirus positive cases, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said on Saturday. However, he welcomed the voluntary imposition of lockdowns at a local level by villages or market associations in cities. "The state government is not willing to impose a lockdown in the state considering the problems faced by the poor people. We have already imposed a curfew for 10 hours in a day to restrict the unnecessary movement of people," Rupani said when asked if the government was thinking of clamping a lockdown in view of the rising cases. (PTI)

With rising COVID cases, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has canceled entrance examinations for session 2021-2022. A fresh entrance schedule will be uploaded soon by the university authorities on AMU’s official website: Omar Saleem Peerzada, Public Relation Officer, AMU. (ANI)

The 11-day 'corona curfew' will come into effect in some districts of Karnataka, including the state capital, from Saturday night to contain the spread of coronavirus and only essential services, patients and passengers would be allowed to ply. The state government had announced night curfew between 10 pm and 5 am every day from April 10 to 20 in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Kalaburagi, Bidar, Tumakuru, Udupi-Manipal cities. This apart, the curfew will be in place in other prominent towns and district headquarters, the government said. The police have made elaborate arrangements to ensure compliance of the rules at night. (PTI)

Mizoram will close down schools for students of class eight and below following a spike in COVID-19 cases due to the second wave of the virus in the state, a new guideline issued by the state government which came into effect on Saturday said. Schools for students of classes five to eight were reopened on March 1 and for classes three and four on April 1. Public interview for ministers has been suspended, for the time being, the guideline issued on Friday night said. The state government has also banned night church services and extended the duration of the existing night curfew in the state capital town of Aizawl and the district headquarters in view of the second COVID-19 wave, it said. (PTI)

Congress candidate for by- election to Odisha's Pipili assembly segment, Ajit Mangaraj, said on Saturday that he has tested positive for COVID-19. Taking to Facebook, Mangaraj, after announcing that he is undergoing treatment for the viral disease, appealed to party activists to stay united and not pay heed to any rumour. He also urged them to work hard and ensure the party's victory in the by-election, scheduled to be held on April 17. Former Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Jaydev Jena, senior leader Chiranjib Biswal among others campaigned for Mangaraj in Pipili on Saturday. The by-poll was necessitated following the demise of BJD MLA Pradeep Maharathy in October 2020. He had won the seat by a margin of 15,787 votes in 2019. (PTI)

The school closure in Delhi over the COVID-19 case surge has left some principals concerned about class 10 and 12 practical exams which were underway, while some say it was wise to suspends offline academic activities given the pandemic situation. Amid a spike in coronavirus cases over the past few weeks, the Delhi government Friday suspended physical academic activities and offline examinations for all classes indefinitely. The move will definitely impact practical exams as well as the upcoming board exams which are just around the corner," said Alka Kapur", the principal of Modern School, Shalimar Bagh. (PTI)

Amid escalating cases of COVID-19 in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday visited the LNJP Hospital and said the administration and hospitals are working to contain the "fourth wave" of the pandemic in the city. (PTI)

'Chithrai Karthikai' festival at Thiruparankundram Sri Subramaniya Swamy Temple in Tamil Nadu's Madurai to be held without devotees, in view of the second wave of coronavirus. (PTI)

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said the number of active COVID-19 cases in the state might reach one lakh by the end of this month given the spike in infection count. He made the statement while speaking to reporters here. "The way there is a spike in coronavirus infection cases, the number of active cases in Madhya Pradesh may reach one lakh by the end of this month. We will try to stop this in the middle as we have started adopting some measures, including lockdown," he said. (PTI)

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope has urged the Centre to formulate criteria for allotment of COVID-19 vaccines by taking into consideration factors like population and number of active coronavirus cases of a particular state. He alleged that many states, which are smaller than Maharashtra in terms of population and the number of patients, have received more doses. Talking to reporters, Tope said that out of thelatest dispatch of 3.5 crore doses by the Centre, Maharashtra received 7 lakh and the Centre added another 10 lakh "after much persuasion". (PTI)