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10.10PM | India

Total covid19 cases in India crossed 18,000 and active cases crossed 14,000

Despite Health Ministry’s optimism that the rate of doubling cases has slowed down to to 7.5 days post-lockdown, India’s tally of positive cases has crossed 18,300. The country reported 36 deaths in the last 24 hours and the toll stands at 583. Globally, the death toll has climbed to 1,65,000, with the United States reporting the highest number of deaths. Meanwhile, as PM Narendra Modi mentioned in his announcement, a number of restrictions in industrial sectors were lifted today.

The IMA sent the govt a white alert over violence against doctors and has said that doctors and hospitals will light a candle at 9 pm on April 22, in protest. UP CM Yogi Adityanath, whose father passed away earlier today, said he will not be attending the last rites in order to enforce lockdown norms.

9.20 P.M. | NEW DELHI

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will be meeting on Thursday (23rd April) to discuss the current Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown situation. This will be the second CWC  through video conferencing.

Like terrorism, we’ll fight coronavirus together, says PM Modi

India and Afghanistan have fought the scourge of terrorism together and will similarly take on coronavirus (COVID-19) with solidarity and shared resolve, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.

Responding to a tweet by Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani thanking India for the supply of wheat and medicines, Mr. Modi said New Delhi and Kabul share a special friendship based on ties of history, geography, and culture.Read more 8.40 P.M. | BIHAR

A 19 year old woman from Biharsharief in Nalanda district has been detected as COVID-19 positive, taking the total number in Bihar to 97.

8.30 P.M | TELANGANA

4 new cases in Telangana, 2 deaths

Telangana reported 4 new COVID-19 positive cases in on Monday  and two deaths, taking the death toll to 23. Total active cases is 663. No patient was reported cured or discharged today.

7.55 P.M. | MAHARASHTRA

Positive cases in Mumbai passes 3000

With the new cases reported in Dharavi, the positive cases in Maharashtra has risen to 4666 with 232 deaths. Mumbai alone has crossed the 3000 mark. The total number of COVID19 cases in the city is now 3032 and death toll is 139.

7.50 P.M. | GUJARAT

196 new cases in Gujarat

On Monday, Gujarat added a further 196 positive cases and 8 deaths while 26 patients have recovered and discharged, highest single day recovery. The number of positive case in the State stands at 1939 with 71 deaths.

7.30 P.M. | UTTARAKHAND

2 new cases in Uttarakhand

Two more persons tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttarakhand on Monday, taking the total number of positive cases in the State to 46, a health department bulletin said. The latest cases are from Dehradun.

18 have recovered and the State has 28  active cases.

– PTI

7.30 P.M. | HARYANA

One new case in Haryana

One person has tested positive in Haryana on Monday, with the number of new cases reaching 251 in Haryana, according to the State health department’s daily bulletin. The lone case on Monday was reported from Panchkula district, where the number of COVID-19 cases increased to 18. 141 have recovered.

– PTI7.20 P.M. | MUMBAI

Dharavi in Mumbai reports 30 new cases, bringing the total to 168., including 11 deaths.6.45 P.M. | KERALA

6 new postive cases in Kerala

Six new positive cases were detected in Kerala on Monday. The number of active cases stands at 114, as 21 have recovered. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state will test all those in quarantine within 2-3 days.

6.30 PM | TAMIL NADU

43 more persons test positive in T.N., says Vijayabaskar

Tamil Nadu Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar said “43 persons test positive for COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu. Two more deaths, taking total deaths to 17 in TN. 46 persons were discharged today.”

6.15 PM | ODISHA

13 new cases detected in Odisha

The total number of coronavirus cases increased to 74 in Odisha with 13 new cases detected on Monday. While 49 are under treatment, 24 patients have been discharged after recovery and one has died, said State Health Dept.

6.05 PM | MAHARASHTRA

Maharashtra reports more cases in 12 hours

283 new COVID-19 positive cases in Maharashtra over a 12-hour span, taking the State’s tally to 4483. The majority of these cases – 187 – reported from Mumbai city taking the city’s tally to 2,911. Thane and Kalyan-Dombivli witnessed a sharp spike in cases, reporting 21 and 16 new cases respectively, while Mira-Bhayander reported seven new cases and Panvel six. Nine new cases were reported from Pune district, while fresh cases were reported from Navi Mumbai, Raigad, Satara, Solapur and Kolhapur as well. Till Sunday, the state’s death toll stood at 223.

5.45 PM. | WEST BENGAL

4 new cases in West Bengal in 24 hours

West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha has confirmed 4 new cases in past 24 hours. Active cases stands at 245 on Monday. 73 persons have recovered. Total samples tested are 5469 as on April 20. Death toll remains at 12.5.15 P.M. | JAMMU AND KASHMIR

14 new cases in Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir spokeman Rohit Kansal has said that 14 new cases were reported on Monday. All of them are from the Kashmir division. The total number of cases stand at 368, including 55 from Jammu and 313 from Kashmir.

4.40 PM | ODISHA

Employees resume work in govt offices in Odisha

Senior officers of the Odisha government joined their offices on Monday, nearly a month after restrictions were imposed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

While all Class-I officers resumed work from their offices, including state secretariat Lok Seva Bhavan, other subordinate staff started working on a roster basis.

As per the roster system, 33 per cent of the junior staff of different departments will be working on a rotational basis.

4.30 PM | NEW DELHI

RT-PCR kits need to be stored in less than 20 degree temperature, ICMR spokesperson says.

Health Ministry spokesperson, on several journalists testing positive in Mumbai, requests journalists to take precautions. Sampling criteria is that anyone who needs to be tested will be sampled, he says.

4.20 PM | NEW DELHI

Doubling rate at 7.5 days

The overall recovery rate in COVID-19 cases stand at 14.75%, says Health Ministry spokesperson.

In the last seven days, the doubling rate is 7.5 compared to 3.4 that was before the lockdown, he adds.

Based on data till 19th April, 18 States have shown better performance than the national average.

Doubling rates of select states:

Delhi: 8.5 days, Karnataka: 9.2, Telangana: 9.4, Andhra Pradesh: 10.6, J&K: 11.5, Punjab: 13.10, Chhattisgarh: 13.30, Tamil Nadu: 14, Bihar: 14.40

In some States the doubling rate is more than 20. Andaman-Nicobar 20.10, Haryana 21, Himachal Pradesh 24.5 days, Chandigarh: 24.50 days, Assam:25.8 days, Uttarakhand: 26.6  and Ladakh: 26.6 days.. In Kerala and Odisha it is more than 30 days.

In Goa, all patients have been recovered after treatment, he says.

4.15 PM | NEW DELHI

SHG comes to rescue

Self-help group members in 399 districts of 24 States initiate mask production. About 2 crore face masks, 1 lakh litres of hand santiser, liquid soaps and over 5000 PPEs were produced. SHG women also running 10,000 community kitchens in five States, a government spokesperson says.

4.00 PM | NEW DELHI

Farming operations allowed with 50% workforce: Agriculture Ministry

A spokesperson from Ministry of Agriculture says there is a 36% increase in the summer crop sowing, compared to last year.

Farming operations in field, harvesting and sowing, agencies engaged in procurement of agri-products, tea, coffee and rubber plantations are allowed with maximum 50% workers, he adds.

Fooodgrains production target for fy 2020-21 fixed at 298 MT. It was 291.1 MT last fiscal, he says.

Rs. 16,621 crore has been released to benefit 8.31 crore farmer families under PM-Kisan in the first instalment. Under PMFBY, insurance claims worth Rs. 2424 crore have been disbursed to farmers in 12 States, 18.26 lakh applications were sanctioned for loan amounting to Rs.17,800 crore. Short-term crop loans up to Rs.3 lakh allowed to repay up to May 31 at 4% PA interest without penalty, he says.

About 5,516 MT of pulses dispatched to States/UTs under Garib Kalyan Yojana.

4.00 PM | UTTARAKHAND

Badrinath temple opening postponed

The portals of Badrinath temple in Garhwal Himalayas, which were scheduled to open on April 30, will now open on May 15.

The decision to reschedule the opening of the temple gates was taken in view of circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dharmadhikari of the Badrinath temple Bhuvan Chandra Uniyal said. – PTI3

.45 PM | GUJARAT

Gujarat industrial units resume operations

As the lockdown guidelines are relaxed from Monday, nearly 4,000 industrial units in Gujarat have resumed operations.

This includes ceramic units in Morbi, engineering units in Rajkot and Kutch, chemical units in Ankleshwar, and automobile units in Sanand.

3.30 PM | NEW DELHI

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind appeals to Muslims to follow lockdown norms during Ramzan

Prominent Muslim body Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind has appealed to Muslims to adhere to all the guidelines of the lockdown and perform all religious rituals during Ramzan, starting later this week, staying inside their homes.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind general secretary Mahmood Madani also appealed to the community to help the poor and ensure ‘sehri’ (meal before start of fasting) and ‘iftar’ (meal at breaking of fast) is made available for the needy.

“It is an appeal to the Muslims in India that they adhere to the lockdown guidelines completely. They should not leave their homes without reason,” the Jamiat appeal said. – PTI

3.10 PM | UTTAR PRADESH

Kanpur records 17 fresh COVID-19 cases

Seventeen cases of coronavirus were detected in Kanpur city of Uttar Pradesh on Monday, taking the total number of such cases here to 74, a health official said.

Out of these 74 cases, six patients were cured and discharged on Sunday, while one lost his life due to the disease eight days ago, he said.

Presently, there are 66 active cases and they are being treated at G S V M Medical College. – PTI

3.00 PM | TAMIL NADU

TN extends lockdown till May 3

Tamil Nadu becomes the third State on Monday, after Punjab and Karnataka, to announce extension of lockdown till May 3.

A press release from the State government said essential services continue to be exempted from the lockdown. 

2.40 PM | TAMIL NADU

Two pilgrims test positive for COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu

Two women, who were among 127 people who went on a pilgrimage to Varanasi, have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. The pilgrims, mostly senior citizens, from Tamil Nadu were quarantined soon after they arrived in Tiruvallur district in three buses from Uttar Pradesh last Friday.

2.30 PM | ANDHRA PRADESH

Three more COVID-19 deaths, 75 fresh cases reported in AP

The State has breached the 700-mark in the number of positive cases as 75 new cases including three deaths were reported in seven districts. It was the highest number of cases reported in a single day so far and the tally has gone up to 722. The death toll reached 20 and 27 more persons have recovered and got discharged, according to the bulletin issued by the Health department on Monday.

So far, Kurnool reported 174 cases and Guntur reported 149 cases. Both of the districts account for 45% of the total cases in the State. – Tharun Boda2 PM | INDIA

Centre gets tough on four States violating lockdown measures.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has constituted six committees, each led by Additional Secretary rank officials, to visit the four States — M.P, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and West Bengal — to ensure strict the implementation of lockdown measures.

Civil Aviation ministry will arrange for their air transportation.

1.50 PM | MUMBAI

53 journalists test positive for COVID-19

BMC’s health committee member Amey Ghole has confirmed that 167 samples of media people were collected and of those 53 have tested positive.

They are in process of figuring out the logistics and may move the positive patients to hotels and guest houses.

Most are asymptomatic at present.

1.45 PM | KARNATAKA

Karnataka continues lockdown till May 3

The Karnataka Cabinet on Monday decided to continue to the present lockdown till May 3 without any relaxation to industries or services located in rural and urban areas.

“Today’s situation will continue till May 3,” Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J.C. Madhuswamy said after the Cabinet meeting.

Accordingly, all types of industries and services would be remained closed till May 3. However, agriculture and horticulture related activities, and agricultural marketing services will be allowed.

1.40 PM | KERALA

Rigorous infection-control in Kerala hospitals pays off

For Kerala, when COVID-19 struck, it was not a last-minute crash course on dealing with a contagious microbe. The learning was on right from 2017, when the State had rolled out the Anti Microbial Resistance programme, in which infection prevention and control (IPC) was a strategic point.

The Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode in 2018 was perhaps the first major test of the lessons learned. And Kerala did emerge victorious in the battle, but lost nurse Lini Puthussery. This time, Health Minister K.K. Shylaja had given a mandate to health-care workers — that there should be no casualties among them. So far, a nurse at the Kottayam medical college and two field workers in Ernakulam have been affected by COVID-19. All have recovered.

1.30 PM | WORLD

WHO-recommended disinfectants effective against novel coronavirus: Study

Alcohol-based hand disinfectants recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) are effective against the novel coronavirus which causes COVID-19, according to a study.

The formulations can be prepared quickly and easily by pharmacies and help alleviate the current shortage of disinfectants, said researchers from Ruhr-Universitat Bochum (RUB) in Germany.

 1.10 PM | RAJASTHAN

Newborn tests positive for COVID-19 in Rajasthan’s Nagaur

A newborn baby has tested positive for COVID-19 in Rajasthan’s Nagaur district, an official said Monday.

“The baby born on Saturday is coronavirus positive. Her mother, father and other family members are also COVID-19 patients,” Nagaur chief medical and health officer Dr Sukumar Kashyap said.

 12.50 PM | INDIA

RS Secretariat resumes duties

The Rajya Sabha Secretariat resumed functioning today, 27 days after the implementation of the national lockdown, said Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu on Monday.

Essential business will continue within the norms of the lockdown, he wrote on Twitter.Vice President of India✔@VPSecretariat

Rajya Sabha Secretariat resumed functioning today after 27 days since lockdown came into force on March 25. I have asked the officials to transact core business that cant be deferred by deploying manpower accordingly in conformity with the spirit of norms of lockdown. #COVID19

12.40 PM | MADHYA PRADESH

Death toll in Indore rises to 52, COVID-19 cases reach 897

Three more persons died of coronavirus Indore in the last 24 hours, taking the toll in the Madhya Pradesh district to 52, an official said on Monday.

The deceased included two men and a woman, in the age group of 42 to 47 years, Chief Medical and Health Officer Praveen Jadia said.

Besides, seven more people tested positive for COVID- 19 here, taking the total number of such cases in the district to 897, he said.

The State has reported 74 deaths so far. The total number of cases in the State stands at 1,414.

12.30 PM | KARNATAKA

Five new cases in Karnataka

Five new cases have been reported in the State on Monday taking the total number of positive cases to 395.

All the five are from Kalaburgi and contacts of previous positive patients, according to the health department”s midday bulletin.

So far, 16 deaths have been reported. As many as 111 people have been discharged.

12.20 PM | TAMIL NADU

In Chennai, doctor’s burial marred by protests, attacks

In a shocking repeat of what happened when a doctor from Andhra Pradesh died of COVID-19 just a week ago, a mob attacked a group of persons, including doctors, during the burial of a neurosurgeon, who had died after he tested positive for COVID-19, in a private hospital on Sunday.

The body of the 55-year-old doctor, who heads a private hospital on Poonamallee High Road, was shifted from the private hospital to Chennai Corporation’s burial ground near Kilpauk on Sunday night. However, residents gathered on the road and protested.

12.10 PM | MAHARASHTRA

All areas in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad to be sealed till April 27

In view of the increasing COVID-19 positive cases in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, the municipal commissioners of the Pune and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation on Sunday ordered to seal all areas within their limits for the next seven days.

In their directives issued under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, and the Disaster Management Act, 2005, PMC Commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad and PCMC Commissioner Sharavan Hardikar declared the civic bodies as ‘containment zones’.

12 PM | KASHMIR

Four new cases of coronavirus in Kashmir

The number of COVID-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir has climbed to 354 as four more persons tested positive for the virus, officials said on Monday.

Four new cases — all from Kashmir — have been detected in the union territory, the officials said.

The officials said the total number of positive cases has now risen to 354. Five patients have died in Jammu and Kashmir and 56 have recovered.

– PTI

11.40 AM | RAJASTHAN

Rajasthan registers 1 death, 17 new cases

The death of a resident of Nagaur in Rajasthan has brought the toll in the State to 24. According to authorities, the patient suffered from hypertension and was admitted to Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh Government Hospital on Saturday, and tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday.

Seventeen more COVID-19 positive cases have been detected in Rajasthan today, taking the State’s tally to 1,495. Among them, 205 patients have recovered so far and 97 have been discharged from hospitals, says the State Medical and Health Department.

11.30 AM | INDIA

COVID-19 situation serious in Mumbai, Kolkata, Indore: MHA

The Centre on Monday said the COVID-19 situation is “especially serious” in Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata and a few other places in West Bengal, and violation of lockdown measures risk the spread of the novel coronavirus.

In a communication to state governments and union territories, the home ministry said there have been several incidents of violence against COVID-19 frontline healthcare professionals, complete violation of social distancing norms and movement of vehicles in urban areas. These should be stopped, it said.

The situation is “especially serious” in Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai and Pune in Maharashtra, Jaipur in Rajasthan, and Kolkata, Howrah, East Medinipur, North 24 Parganas, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, the ministry said.

– PTI

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11.10 AM | NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand’s lockdown extended

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced New Zealand’s lockdown will last another week.

For nearly four weeks, nonessential workers have been able to leave their homes only to buy groceries or get exercise.

From next week, workers at some businesses such as construction and manufacturing will be able to resume their jobs, and some schools will reopen, although parents will be encouraged to continue having their children learn from home.

10.50 AM | MANIPUR

Manipur’s second COVID-19 patient again tests negative

The second COVID-19 patient in Manipur tested negative for the virus again on Sunday, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) director Prof Ahanthem Santa Singh said in Imphal.

With this, Manipur no longer has any active COVID-19 case, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said on Twitter.

The patient, who is undergoing treatment at RIMS, had tested negative for the virus on Saturday as well, the director told PTI.

“Good news: the second #COVID19 patient who is undergoing treatment at RIMS, Imphal has reported negative of Novel Corona Virus disease. Now Manipur has zero positive case of COVID-19 as on date as the two cases of Manipur have been reported negative (sic),” the CM tweeted.

10.40 AM | GUJARAT

Cases continue to spike in Gujarat

The number of COVID-19 infections in Gujarat continues to see sharp rise on Monday, with 108 new cases and four deaths.

The total number of cases in the State is now 1,851 cases and the number of deaths is 67.

Three of the four who died were men. Two hailed from Ahmedabad and the ther two from Surat. So far, 34 people have died in Ahmedabad and 10 in Surat.

10.10 AM | PUNJAB

Punjab rules out relaxation in curfew till May 3

The Punjab government has ruled out any relaxation in the curfew till May 3 barring wheat procurement.

The move came after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh reviewed the current situation arising out of the coronavirus outbreak with senior officers from the administration and police department.

 10.05 AM | ODISHA

Odisha police officer suspended for entering Puri Jagannath temple during lockdown

The Odisha government has placed an inspector-in-charge of a police station for allegedly entering Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri, in violation of the lockdown imposed to curb COVID-19.

The suspended officer identified as Deepak Kumar Jena IIC of Badachana police station under Jajpur district was accused of entering the 12th century temple with his family members on Sunday evening.

 10 AM | USA

U.S. wants to send team of experts inside China for COVID-19 probe: Trump

The U.S. wants to send a team of experts to China to investigate coronavirus, President Donald Trump has said, a day after he warned Beijing of “consequences” if it was knowingly responsible for the spread of COVID-19 which has killed more than 165,000 people globally, including over 41,000 in America.

Describing the coronavirus as a plague, Mr. Trump, during his White House news conference on Sunday, said that he is not happy with China where the pandemic emerged in December last year in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

9.40 AM | BIHAR

Three new cases in Bihar

Three more COVID-19 positive cases have been detected in Bihar. With this, the total toll in the State is  now 96.

The three new patients are aged 30, 36 and 52 years, and are residents of Jamalpur in Munger District.

9.20 AM | INDIA

MHA writes to States, asks to follow guidelines

Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Monday wrote to all States, reminding them to follow the March 31 observations made by Supreme Court that all States must comply with the guidelines issued by the MHA. He said that some States are allowing activities not permitted as per MHA guidelines.

The MHA has written to Kerala givernment regarding the dilution of lockdown guidelines, pointing out that the Kerala government has allowed functioning of local workshops, barber shops, restaurants, book stores, MSMEs in municipal limits, and bus travel in the cities/towns for shorter distance etc which amounts to violation of guidelines issued by MHA under Disaster Management Act, 2005.

9 AM | INDIA

17,265 confirmed cases, 543 deaths: Health Ministry

India has 17,265 confirmed cases of which 14,175 are active, according to the latest update from the Health Ministry.

As many as 2,546 people have been discharged. The death toll stands at 543, according to the Ministry.

8.30 AM | USA

US records 1,997 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours: Johns Hopkins

The number of coronavirus deaths in the United States rose by almost 2,000 in the past 24 hours to reach 40,661 on Sunday, a tally from Johns Hopkins University showed.

The rise in deaths, by 1,997, is marginally above the 1,891 which Johns Hopkins data showed a day earlier for the previous 24-hour period to Saturday.

Sunday’s figure came on the same day that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the epidemic in his hardest-hit state is “past the high point.”

7.50 AM | ODISHA

Seven test positive in Odisha

Seven more persons tested positive for COVID-19 in Odisha, taking total number of cases detected in the State to 68.

Number of active cases stands at 43. Twenty four people have recovered and one person has died, said the State Health Department.

07.30AM| INDIA

COVID-19 does not see race, religion before striking: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took to networking site LinkedIn to speak to young professionals that adapting to new technology in the times of COVID-19 can help create new business models and lead to the engagement of a large segment of Indians, including the poor, with technical solutions.

“COVID-19 does not see race, religion, colour, caste, creed, language or border before striking. Our response and conduct, therefore, should attach primacy to unity and brotherhood,” said Mr. Modi, adding that this has to be so, as the virus has affected across class, communities.

07.00AM | DELHI

Capital reports 110 new COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths

The Capital on Sunday reported 110 new COVID-19 cases and two deaths, taking the total number of cases to 2,003 and deaths to 45. On Sunday, 83 people recovered, taking the total number of people who have recovered to 290.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said as COVID-19 was still spreading in the Capital, the government has decided not to provide any relaxation to the ongoing lockdown.

10.30PM | India

Total confirmed cases in India crossed 16,500

As the nation strives to flatten the curve, the number of coronavirus cases in Gujarat and Maharashtra continue to surge. Meanwhile, Kerala and Tamil Nadu report high numbers of recovery cases per day. Tally in India spikes over 16,500 and toll breaches 500-mark. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said that there is no intention of lifting lockdown as of now. Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said that certain financial activities shall begin in the state to cope with the economic crisis due to COVID-19. Globally, in Europe, coronavirus has killed over 1,00,000 people, which makes nearly two-thirds of the overall global death toll.

10:22 PM | JAMMU

500-bedded COVID-19 care centre set up in Jammu

A 500-bedded COVID-19 care centre with all necessary facilities has been established and handed over to the health department here, an official spokesperson said.

It will be the first administrative quarantine centre which has been upgraded to a COVID-19 care centre in order to stem the contraction of coronavirus, the official said.

The centre at Yatri Niwas in Bhagwati Nagar boasts of a mess, water coolers and televisions for suspected cases whose results are awaited or those confirmed cases that have been clinically assigned mild or very mild cases.

“This centre is a step towards mitigating the load on other hospitals in the Jammu district,” the spokesperson said.

9:54 PM | JAIPUR

Two deaths and 127 positive cases reported in Rajasthan today. The death toll is now 23 and the tally of patients is 1,478. Of them, 205 have recovered and 97 have been discharged from hospitals, according to the  Medical & Health Department.

–Mohammed Iqbal9:51 PM | HYDERABAD

Lockdown in Telangana extended till May 7, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao announced at a briefing today.

8:58 PM | LUCKNOW

Cases in Uttar Pradesh has now touched 1,100, as per the State Directorate of Health Services. A total of 17 deaths were reported so far.

Six of the deaths were reported in Agra, three in Meerut, two in Moradabad and one each in Lucknow, Kanpur, Bulandhshar, Basti, Varanasi and Firozabad.

8:38 PM | MUMBAI

Maharashtra reported a staggering surge of 552 new positive cases on Sunday, taking the State’s cumulative tally to 4,200 cases. Twelve more deaths were reported, raising the State’s death toll to 223.

8:32 PM | GUWAHATI

5 more patients discharged in Assam

Five more patients were discharged in Assam on Sunday, taking the total number of cured persons to 17, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Thirty-four persons had tested positive for COVID-19 in the State since March 31 and one person, hailing from Hailakandi, had died.

Four persons, including a woman, were discharged from Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (MMCH) and another from Guwahati Medical College Hospital here after their four successive tests were negative, the minister tweeted.

All five patients will now proceed for 14-day home quarantine, he said.

–PTI

7:57 PM | NEW DELHI

Centre stops airline bookings

The government on Sunday directed airlines to discontinue advance bookings for travel from May 4, following which Air India has reversed its earlier decision to sell air tickets.

“It has been noticed that airlines have started booking tickets for journeys with effect from May 4. No decision to commence the operation of domestic/international flights with effect from May 4 has been taken yet. All airlines are hereby directed to refain from booking tickets,” the Civil Aviation Ministry told domestic and foreign airlines. It said the airlines would be given sufficient notice for restarting flights.Read more7:52 PM | AHMEDABAD

Another 139 COVID-19 cases and 5 deaths were recorded in Gujarat today, taking the numbers to 1,743 cases and 63 deaths. In addition, 11 patients have recovered and discharged.

Gujarat’s infection curve is rising with a sharp increase in infections. A total of 367 cases and 10 deaths were reported today while yesterday’s count was 277 cases and 12 deaths.

–Mahesh Langa7:45 PM | NAGPUR

Nine COVID-19 cases were reported from Nagpur today, taking the total number of cases in the district to 72, said district authorities.

All the new cases were contacts of a 68-year-old man who died on April 5 and was the district’s first fatality, said Nagpur Municipal Commissioner Tukaram Munde.

He said till date, 192 contacts (including kin of the deceased) had been traced of whom no less than 37 had tested positive so far. The test results of 144 of these contacts were still awaited.

7:33 PM | NEW DELHI

Transported 1,150 tonnes of medical items, says Railways

Railways has transported 1,150 tonnes of medical items during the lockdown period across the country, the national transporter said on Sunday, adding that they include medicines, masks, hospital items and other medical commodities.

It said the items were being ferried through its timetabled parcel services to strengthen government’s efforts in managing the challenges and adverse impact of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

At almost 400 tonnes, the Northern Railway ferried the maximum items followed by Western Railway (328.84 tonnes) and Central Railway (136 tonnes).

7:30 PM | SRINAGAR

Nine new cases reported in Jammu and Kashmir, tally touches 350

The number of cases in Jammu and Kashmir reached 350 on Sunday as nine more people tested positive in the Union territory, officials said.

Of the fresh cases, eight are from the Kashmir division while one is from Jammu, the officials said.

Now, the number of novel coronavirus cases in the Jammu division is 55 and that in the Kashmir division stands at 295, they added.

–PTI

7:28 PM | CHANDIGARH

Ten fresh cases in Punjab; CM rules out any relaxation in curfew

Ten fresh cases surfaced in Punjab on Sunday, taking the total tally to 244 in the State, according to government statement.

State health department said out of the ten cases reported on April 19, four are from SAS Nagar and six are from Jalandhar districts. Till now, Punjab has seen 16 Covid-19 related deaths, while 37 patients have been cured of the deadly virus.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, meanwhile ruled out any relaxation in the curfew in the state, except as needed to ensure Covid-19 free procurement of wheat, till May 3.

7:17 PM | PATNA

Six more test positive in Bihar, total rises to 92

Six more people tested positive in Bihar on Sunday, taking the total number of cases in the State to 92, a top Health Department official said.

Of these six fresh infections, two were reported from Buxar district and four from Nalanda district.

–PTI

7:16 PM | CHANDIGARH

Jail warder among 18 fresh cases in Haryana

Eighteen fresh cases of COVID-19 surfaced in Haryana on Sunday, including a jail warder, taking the total tally to 250 in the State, according to a government statement.

State Health Department said out of total 250 confirmed cases, 24 are foreign nationals i.e – 14 Italian, six are from Sri Lanka, one each from Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia and South Africa and 64 are from other States. Till now, Haryana has seen two COVID-19 related deaths, while 104 patients have been cured of the deadly virus, it added.

Chief Medical Officer, Gurugram, J.S. Punia, said a jail warder at Gurugram’s Bhondsi Jail has been tested positive. “He was absent from the duty since April 9 and returned to work two days ago. But he was asked to get his test done and not allowed to join. His samples were taken and result came on Saturday. He was found to be infected with the virus. Since he had not joined the duty, the staff and inmates at the jail did not come in contact with him,” he said.

7:10 PM | DEHRADUN

Dehradun, Haridwar and Nainital designated as red zones in Uttarakhand

Dehradun, Haridwar and Nainital in Uttarakhand have been kept in the red zone with 80% of positive cases in the State being reported from these districts.

According to a strategy devised by the Health Department for effective implementation of the extended lockdown, the State has been divided into three zones on the basis of the rate of spread of the pandemic, Health Secretary Yugal Kishore Pant said.

Dehradun, Haridwar and Nainital have been kept in the red zone while Almora, Udham Singh Nagar and Pauri districts have been kept in the orange zone. The remaining seven districts which have not yet reported a case have been kept in the green zone, Mr. Pant said.

–PTI

7:03 PM | MUMBAI

Dharavi reported 20 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 138 cases so far including 11 deaths

7:01 PM | NEW DELHI

Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha Secretariats to resume work from April 20

The Lok Sabha Secretariat will resume work from Monday after it was shut in the last week of March in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to an official order.

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were shut on March 24 after both houses were adjourned sine die following the passage of the Finance Bill for 2020-21, bringing a premature end to the budget session of Parliament, which was slated to conclude on April 3.

According to the order issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, it will resume work from Monday and all officers of the joint secretary rank and above will join office. Besides them, the other staff will work on a rotational basis. The order further said while working, the secretariat staff will ensure that social distancing norms are observed.

File movement shall only be through electronic mode in e-office. The only exception could be urgent files for the consideration of the Lok Sabha speaker.

Another official order also said the Rajya Sabha Secretariat will resume work from Monday.

6:55 PM | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

2 cases reported in Kerala, 13 cured

Two new cases were reported in Kerala on Sunday, taking the total number to 401, while 13 people were cured, the Health Department said.

Health Minister K.K. Shailaja said as of now 270 people have been cured of the deadly virus in the State.

“One infected person is from Kannur and another from Kasaragod. They came from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. As of now 129 peopleare under treatment in the state,” Ms. Shailaja said in a release.

At least 55,590 people are under observation in the State while 416 are in isolation wards at various hospitals. The State has till now sent 19,351 samples for testing. Kannur has 48 positive cases, while neighbouring Kasaragod has 42 and Kozhikode, 13.

–PTI

6:41 PM | CHENNAI

A total of 105 persons tested positive today taking the total number of positive cases to 1,477. In addition, 46 persons who were treated for the infection were discharged today. As of Sunday, 411 individuals have been discharged, 21,381 are under home quarantine and 1,987 in isolation wards.

6:17 PM | JAMMU

Screening of Rohingya Muslims under way in Jammu; 12 samples taken for testing

Stepping up the COVID-19 screening of Rohingya Muslims living at various slums here, the Health Department in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday collected a dozen samples for testing, officials said.

The samples were taken randomly during screening of Rohingya Muslims residing at Kargil colony and Beeru plot in Bhatindi, a red zone, by a team of doctors deputed to check for the symptoms of coronavirus among the population, the officials said.

They said over 540 Rohingyas, settled in two plots, were screened since Saturday and all of them were found with no symptoms of COVID-19.

The screening process will continue to cover all the settlements housing the foreigners.

5:53 PM | BENGALURU

Six new cases were detected in Karnataka on Sunday. The total cases in the State rose to 390 comprising 263 active cases and 111 recoveries. In addition, two new deaths were also reported today, raising the State’s toll to 16.

According to a media bulletin issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, a 65-year-woman, who was a resident of Bengaluru and was reported to have Severe Acute Respiratory Illnesses (SARI), passed away at a designated hospital in the city on Sunday. Another death was reported in Dakshina Kannada, a resident of Uppinangadi who was a 50-year-old woman died on Sunday.

5:50 PM | PARIS

Global death toll crosses 160,000

The worldwide death toll from the novel coronavirus pandemic rose to 160,685 on Sunday, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP. More than 2,334,130 declared cases have been registered in 193 countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged in China in December.

Of these cases, at least 518,900 are now considered recovered.

The tallies, using data collected by AFP from national authorities and information from the World Health Organization (WHO), probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections.Read more5:40 PM | BHOPAL

The number of coronavirus cases in Madhya Pradesh rose to 1,407 with five more people testing positive for the disease on Sunday.

5.20 PM | UTTAR PRADESH

Cases in U.P. cross 1,000-mark; death toll mounts to 17

The number of coronavirus cases in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday mounted to 1,084, with 110 fresh cases and three deaths being reported in a day, officials said.

The virus has claimed 17 lives in the state so far.

During a daily briefing on COVID-19, Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said the state has 959 active cases.

At least 1,084 people in 49 districts of the state are infected, he said, adding that 108 of them have been cured and discharged.

 5.15 PM | KARNATAKA

18 released from quarantine in Bannur

A total of eighteen residents of Bannur, who had been quarantined at a Government facility in the town after they came into contact with a group of Tabligh Jamaat members, were discharged on Saturday after they tested negative for COVID-19.

The 18 residents of Bannur had been in quarantine since April 5 after the Tablighi Jamaat members tested positive.

Woman dies of COVID-19 in Mangaluru

A 50-year-old woman from Bantwal in Dakshina Kannada district who was down with Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) died at the Government Wenlock Hospital here in the morning.

Following SARI, the woman had been admitted to the Wenlock Hospital on April 18. She was being treated at the ICU in the hospital. Her throat swab test confirmed COVID-19 later in the day after her death at 9.15 a.m.

5.00 PM | ODISHA

Odisha to hold talks with centre, States to ensure return of migrant workers post-lockdown: Patnaik

After lockdown restrictions are lifted, Odisha will hold talks with Centre and other State governments for smooth return of its migrant workers and technology will be applied to carry out the mission, announced Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday.

4.45 PM | GOA

No active COVID-19 case in Goa, all 7 patients discharged

Goa on Sunday became the first zero COVID-19 State in the country with the last seven positive cases also testing negative.  This makes Goa the first green State in the country with no case of SARS-CoV-2 since April 3.

The coastal tourist State had a total of seven positive cases,  of whom six had travel history and one was the brother of a positive patient. 

“Goa is now COVID-19 free, all seven patients have tested negative. They will be quarantined at a government facility and later at home,” Chief Minister, Dr. Pramod Sawant said.

Goa has in all tested over 800 people of which seven had come positive.  Dr. Sawant said though Goa was the first Indian State to be free of any tested positive case and a happy moment for everyone, especially the frontline workers, it was important to realise that this was no time to relax. 

The Chief Minister said from April 20, the government would scrutinise reports of its three-day door-to-door citizens survey done last week and decide on testing people for COVID-19 wherever it felt was necessary.

4.10 PM | INDIA

Five groups working on COVID-19 vaccines to test on humans: ICMR

The Home Minister has met officials in the Ministry and directed that relaxations offered in rural areas have to be closely monitored.

The quality of food offered to migrants at shelters is to be closely monitored, according to the Health Ministry’s daily press briefing.

386791 tests have been done so far. Yesterday, 37,173 tests were done.

7886 tests were done in private labs.

2231 people have been cured, which is at a rate of 14.19%.

No cases have been reported from 54 districts in 23 states in the last 14 days.

It was informed that a high level task force has been constituted regarding the vaccine for COVID-19. Academia, industry and international efforts are to be coordinated by it.

Clinical cohorts will be developed to better understand disease trends.

There are to be no relaxations in containment zones of hotspots, where doubling of cases has happened in less than 4 days. Normalcy can be restored only gradually even after May 3.

There are 755 dedicated hospitals and 1389 health centres for severe and critical cases, it was informed.

Raman Gangakhedkar, ICMR: “Five groups, working on vaccines, are going to test on humans. Trial in Oxford will be recruiting 500 and results should be known in 6 months.

“Everybody in hotspots, with flu-like illnesses can get a test.”

Lav Agrawal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry: “A very small percentage of asymptomatic cases has been turning positive.”

MHA spokesperson on ban on non-essential goods by e-commerce companies: “Some restrictions are necessary. The list of non-essential goods was found extensive and permitting all would affect efficacy of lockdown”.

3.50 PM | INDIA

SpiceJet to send select staff on leave without pay

SpiceJet has decided to send employees earning more than Rs 50,000 per month on leave without pay on a rotational basis, sources said on Sunday amid flight services remaining suspended till May 3.

This arrangement would be in place for three months, they added.

The sources also told PTI  that the salary for April is likely to be paid to staff for the days they were on duty.

Earlier, the budget carrier had sent employees on leave without pay from March 25 to 31.

3.40 PM | JAMMU AND KASHMIR

32 more prisoners released in J&K

Thirty-two prisoners, including 16 arrested under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), were released to decongest jails across Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, officials said on Sunday.

A total of 236 prisoners have been released this month by the Jammu and Kashmir administration on the directions of the Supreme Court.

–PTI3.15 PM | BIHAR

Two more positive cases of COVID-19 have been detected in Bihar, from Nalanda and Buxar districts. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in Bihar goes up to 89.

3.05 PM | DELHI

MHA to allow migrant labourers to move within current State after screening

New MHA guidelines say migrant labourers can be screened and those who are asymptomatic can be allowed to move within the State to reach their place of work. All such workers living in relief camps will have to be registered with the local authorities. During the journey by bus, social distancing should be ensured.

“It should be noted that there shall be no movement outside the State/UT from where they are currently located, ” the fresh Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) sent by the MHA to States said.

2.45 PM | ANDHRA PRADESH

One more death, 44 fresh COVID-19 cases reported; 5508 samples tested in 24 hours

In line with the increase in number of samples being tested more fresh cases of COVID-19 are emerging in the State by the day. During the past 24 hours, a total of 44 new cases and one more death was reported in six districts as a result of testing of 5508 samples, the highest number of tests conducted in a day, according to the State bulletin issued by the Health department on Saturday. The tally has gone up to 647 and toll reached 17.

2.40 PM | TAMIL NADU

Nine more patients recover from COVID-19 in Tiruppur district, discharged

As many as nine patients from Tiruppur district who recovered from COVID-19 were discharged on Saturday, District Collector K. Vijayakarthikeyan said on Sunday.

This brings the total number of patients from Tiruppur discharged from Coimbatore’s ESI Hospital to 10, he told mediapersons. As of Sunday, Tiruppur district saw the confirmation of 108 COVID-19 positive cases.

2.30 PM | KERALA

Migrant labourers: CRPF, BSF, ITBP personnel to play role of interpreters in Kerala

Personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) would now be assisting the Kerala police as interpreters to communicate and better understand the requirements of the migrant labourers in the State.

 2.10 PM | DELHI

One-and-a-half-month-old baby dies of COVID-19 in Delhi hospital

A one-and-a-half-month-old baby has died of coronavirus infection at a hospital in Delhi, officials said on Sunday, in perhaps the first fatality of an infant due to COVID-19 in the national capital.

The baby died at Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital attached to the Centre-run Lady Hardinge Medical College.

“The baby was brought to the hospital a few days ago. He tested positive for COVID-19. The child was admitted to SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Illness) ward and died yesterday,” a doctor at the hospital said on the condition of anonymity.

The surveillance team has been informed for contact tracing, he said.

1.30 PM | MAHARASHTRA

Shortage of medical kits in Maharashtra, says Uddhav Thackeray

“There is a shortage of medical kits. I won’t lie. But we are doing our best, from centre and from other sources,” said Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray.

Maharashtra has now completed six weeks of fight against the coronavirus, Mr. Thackeray said.

“Till last evening we conducted 66796 tests. 95% reports are negative. Around 3600 are positive. Around 350 have recovered. 70-75% are mild symptoms. 52 patients are severe.

“Last evening, I spoke to private medical practitioners, doctors. They assured us that practice for non-COVID-19 patients will start in Mumbai.

He said the Government has demarcated red, orange and green zones. Permissions are being given in orange and green zones for certain economic activities.

“We are not opening district borders, except for goods transport.

“Intra-district movement in green and orange zones may be allowed.

“In Mumbai and Pune, which are red zones, door-to-door delivery of newspapers will not be allowed,” Mr. Thackeray said, adding that he was aware he would be criticised by journalists for this step. “In other areas, a rethink of the decision will be done in the next 2 to 3 days.”

“There are domestic violence reports coming from different quarters of the world. State govt appeals women to dial 100 in case of any such violence,” he said.

The State govt has come up with 2 more numbers:

BMC and Birla joint service – 1800120820050

Tribal development department , Project Mumbai and Praffulla- 18001024040

“These numbers are to be called in case you are feeling depressed,” said Mr. Thackeray.

1 PM | TAMIL NADU

Madras HC sticks to video conferencing

In Tamil Nadu, the Madras High Court has decided to conduct judicial proceedings only through video conferencing until further orders.

No court will be accessible for judicial functions till then. They shall be sanitised and kept hygienically fit for future use.12.45 PM | BIHAR

In Bihar, a 55-year-old man has been found COVID-19 positive, taking the total toll in the State to 87.

Two people have died in the State of COVID-19. As many as 37 patients have recovered from the infection.

12.35 PM | INDIA

Supply of non-essential goods by e-commerce companies will remain prohibited, says MHA

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) clarified on Sunday that supply of non-essential goods by e-commerce companies will remain prohibited during the lockdown.

On April 15, the MHA had revised its earlier guidelines issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, to allow the States to decide on the additional public activities to be allowed from April 20 in non-hotspot zones. It said the additional facilities will have to be based on strict compliance to the existing guidelines on lockdown measures.

12.25 PM | KARNATAKA

Four new cases in Karnataka

Four new COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in Karnataka on Sunday. With this, the total number of cases in Karnataka is now 388.

According to a bulletin issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, all four patients are from Mysuru. While two of them have travel history to New Delhi, the other two are from the Nanjangud cluster, where a patient who was working in a pharmaceutical company in Nanjangud tested positive for COVID-19 last month.

12.15 PM | DELHI

No ease in restrictions in Delhi, says CM Arvind Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said that there will be no ease in restrictions in Delhi, considering that situation in the districts.

“Centre has allowed us to ease lockdown restrictions from April 20 but all districts of Delhi are hotspots,” he said.

Hence, there will be no ease in any restrictions in Delhi, said the Chief Minister. “We will assess the situation after a week to see if we can extend any restrictions,” he added.

12 PM | INDIA

New guidelines for distribution of relief materials in Chennai

The Chennai Corporation has released new guidelines for the distribution of food and relief materials for affected residents during the lockdown for COVID-19. This follows a court order based on petitions filed by Opposition parties.

According to a press release from Chennai Corporation Commissioner G. Prakash, representatives of organisations and NGOs who intend to distribute food and relief materials to affected people should inform Chennai Corporation zonal officers before 48 hours. The information pertaining to the place and time of distribution should be shared with the zonal office of the Chennai Corporation.

11.45 AM | INDIA

Chidambaram asks the government to release uniform figures for COVID-19 positive cases

Former Finance Minister P. Chidamabaram asked the government to release uniform COVID-19 figures after a huge discrepancy in Saturday’s details of positive cases released by the Ministry of Health and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

In a series of tweets, Mr. Chidamabaram asked the government to explain the difference in figures between States, Health Ministry, and the ICMR.

“Numbers of positive cases put out today by the States, by ICMR and by Ministry of Health are conflicting and confusing. Usually, States’ total is the highest, followed by ICMR number, followed by M/Health’s number. Today, it is the other way around,”said Mr. Chidamabaram.

 11.30 AM

Tea break…

A vendor distributes ‘Modi herbal chai’ to frontline workers in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, during the national lockdown to combat the spread of coronavirus.  

11.20 AM | GUJARAT

Five deaths in Gujarat, total toll 58

For the second day in a row, Gujarat saw a spike in the COVID-19 death toll as five people succumbed to the disease. This brings the total toll in the State to 58, said the health department.

The State also saw 228 new cases. Overall, 1,604 people have tested positive for the infection in Gujarat.

Of the five deaths, four are from Ahmedabad and the other from Surat. Three of the dead are female and two male. According to the health department, 94 patients have recovered so far.

With 140 new cases today, the number of cases in Ahmedabad now stands at 1,002. Twenty nine people have died in the city while 27 have recovered.

11 AM | SINGAPORE

Foreign workers’ dormitories could see more coronavirus cases, warns Singapore PM

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has warned that more coronavirus cases could come up at packed dormitories that house foreign workers, including several Indian nationals.

While efforts have been made to break the chain of transmission in foreign worker dormitories, it will take some time to show results, Lee said on Saturday .

“The migrant workers who are ill are getting the medical treatment they need. Fortunately, the vast majority of the cases are mild, because the workers are young. Our healthcare teams continue to monitor their conditions,” assured Prime Minister Lee in a Facebook post.

A large proportion of Singapore’s COVID-19 cases can be traced to foreign worker dormitories, which have seen a surge in confirmed cases recently.

Among the latest coronavirus cases is a 28-year-old Indian man working at a hospital who has no recent travel history to affected countries or regions.

10.20 AM | TAMIL NADU

Lockdown restrictions to continue until CM’s decision: Tamil Nadu govt.

All the restrictions in place during the COVID-19 lockdown in Tamil Nadu would continue “until official announcement” (offering any relaxation) is made by the Chief Minister based on the recommendations to be made by the 21-member expert committee, the Tamil Nadu government said on Sunday.

The panel is scheduled to submit its report to the Chief Minister on Monday.

“The CM would examine its recommendations and would take a decision,” it said.

10.10 AM | RAJASTHAN

Another death in Rajasthan, toll is now 22

A 62-year-old man died in Jaipur, taking the death toll in Rajasthan to 22. The COVID-19 patient was admitted to the hospital on Thursday with complaints of fever and breathlessness. He was identified as COVID-19 positive on Saturday, according to the State Medical and Health Department.

Forty-four new COVID-19 positive cases have been detected in Rajasthan, taking the State’s tally to 1,395. As many as 205 patients have recovered, says officials.

10 AM | CHINA

China declares Wuhan low-risk area

China has classified coronavirus epicentre Wuhan as a low-risk area, days after it revised the city’s death toll by 50%, even as 16 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the country, health officials said on Sunday.

According to the risk criteria defined in a guideline issued by China’s State Council, cities, counties and districts with no newly confirmed cases in the last 14 days are categorised as low-risk areas.

While declaring Wuhan as a low-risk area China has strengthened nucleic acid testing to detect coronavirus for people leaving Wuhan.

The test is required before people resume work, production or study elsewhere, it said.

9.30 AM | HIMACHAL PRADESH

Recovered patient tests positive again in Himachal

A man, who had recovered from the novel coronavirus, was again found suffering from the infection in Himachal Pradesh, officials said.

The man, a Tablighi Jamaat member, tested positive for the infection on Saturday within a week of his two reports coming out negative, they said.

Residents of different places in Mandi district, the man along with two other Jamaatis had been staying in a mosque of Nakroh village in Una’a Amb tehsil and all tested positive on April 2.

9.10 AM | SOUTH KOREA

S Korea reports single-digit rise in infections

South Korea on Sunday reported eight more cases of the coronavirus, the first time a daily increase has dropped to a single digit in about two months.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the additional figures took the country’s total to 10,661 with 234 deaths.

It said 8,042 people have recovered and been released from quarantine and 12,243 others were undergoing tests to determine whether they contracted the virus.

South Korea’s caseload has been waning in recent weeks since it recorded hundreds of new cases every day between late February and early March, mostly in the southeastern city of Daegu and nearby areas.

Despite the recent downward trend, South Korean officials have warned about the possibility of a broader quiet spread with people easing up on social distancing.

9 AM | USA

China’s COVID-19 toll way ahead of U.S., says Donald Trump

President Donald Trump has expressed his doubts over the official Chinese figures on the number of deaths in their country due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, claiming that the fatalities were way ahead of the U.S.

Mr. Trump’s comments come two days after another 1,300 fatalities were added to the official count in the city of Wuhan, where the outbreak started. The revision puts China’s overall death toll to more than 4,600.

 8.30 AM | DUBAI

Dubai extends 24-hour coronavirus curfew by a week

Dubai, the United Arab Emirates business hub, has extended by one week a 24-hour-a-day curfew imposed as part of a sterilisation drive to control the spread of the coronavirus, the government said in a Twitter post on Friday.

The UAE has imposed a nationwide nightly curfew since March 26 for the disinfection campaign, but Dubai on April 4 expanded it within the emirate to a 24-hour lockdown for two weeks.

8.30AM HYDERABAD

A glimpse into the isolated existence of containment zones

P. Swaroopa, who has a business of ironing clothes, faced a difficult situation recently. Her residence in P&T Colony of Dilsukhnagar was barricaded and guarded by police, after it was declared a COVID-19 containment zone by government.

A patient was diagnosed with coronavirus infection in their locality and is being treated at Gandhi Hospital. The entire street where he lived has been barricaded, and the residents have been told to stay home. Whatever they needed from outside would be provided by authorities, against payment of money.