Following the surge in COVID-19 cases, the UAE has become the latest of many countries to restrict travellers from India. The country announced that it will suspend the travel of passengers from India for a period of 10 days from April 25.
UAE's move comes after similar moves from the U.K., the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong and New Zealand.
You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the latest updates:
J&J vaccine expected to be imported to India by July, says media report
Johnson & Johnson's single-shot COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be imported to India for "fill and finish" by June or July, financial daily Mint reported on Friday, citing ANI.
Fill and finish is the final step in the manufacturing process of putting the vaccine into vials or syringes, sealing them and packaging them up for shipping.
Pharmaceutical company Biological E Ltd told Reuters in February it was looking to contract-manufacture roughly 600 million doses of Johnson and Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine annually. - Reuters
Americans advised to avoid all travels to India
The U.S. has advised its citizens to avoid travelling to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and the Maldives due to the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases in the region.
In a series of travel advisories on Thursday, the authorities also urged Americans to reconsider travel to China and Nepal; exercise increased caution while travelling to Sri Lanka and exercise normal travel precaution to Bhutan, which has been given Level 1, the safest level for travelling overseas.
Workers at crematoriums demand a break
Workers at electric crematoria, who have been taking care of the dead without any break have threatened to stop working unless conditions improve. They submitted a petition to the Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday seeking his intervention.
“Staff have been working round-the-clock and are exhausted. Amidst this, people accuse them of corruption, which is making the situation worse,” said A. Suresh, State general secretary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Dalitha Sangharsha Samithi who submitted the petition.