28-03-2020 at 12.30PM
Gujarat reports 6 fresh COVID-19 cases, India tally crosses 900
India enters its fourth day of the 21-day lockdown. State governments are enforcing a strict lockdown with some ending up in jail in Bihar. Migrant workers in some parts of India are walking back to their homes as public transport is not available. The number of positive cases is pouring in and the total has crossed 900. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Srinagar, and Karnataka reported coronavirus deaths, taking India’s toll to 21.
12.20PM
First COVID-19 death in Kerala
A 69-year-old man who was admitted to the COVID-19 care centre in Ernakulam died at 8 a.m. on March 28. He is Kerala’s first COVID-19 victim.
The man, who had returned from Dubai, was admitted to Ernakulam Medical College Hospital with pneumonia on March 22, said the authorities in a statement.
He had a history of heart disease and high blood pressure, it said. As his condition worsened, he was put on ventilator, said Dr. Fathahudeen, the nodal officer for COVID-19 treatment in Ernakulam.
The deceased was a resident of Chullikkal near Fort Kochi in Ernakulam.
12.15PM
Aaditya Thackeray urges citizens to stay indoors, donate blood at doorstep service camp
Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Aaditya Thackeray has appealed citizens to stay indoors and donate blood in a camp organised by Shri Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple. For those interested, the camp volunteers will reach at your doorsteps for the service.
11.50AM
Complete lockdown in Dakshina Kannada
Dakshina Kannada observed complete lockdown with the district administration withdrawing the permission given for the sale and purchase of essential commodities from 6 a.m. to noon after two new positive cases were reported in the district yesterday.
Some milk booths in the city and other towns in the district sold the packets for some time early in the morning. Later they closed down. Hence the milk vans of Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Union Ltd (DKMUL) had to return from many towns in the district and places in the city.
All vegetable and grocery shops which otherwise operated from 6 a.m. to noon remained closed. The main central market in the city wore a deserted look.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday said that1000 buses have been arranged to take the migrant workers to their respective hometowns amid coronavirus lockdown.
Transportation Officers, bus drivers and conductors were called by the CM YogiAdityanath last night to make all the arrangements.
11.50AM
Six new cases in Gujarat, state’s tally at 53
Six more people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Gujarat, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 53 on Saturday, said Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary, Health and family welfare Department.
11.45AM
Maharashtra reports 6 new coronavirus cases
The Maharashtra Health Ministry on Saturday said that the state had reported 6 new coronavirus positive cases.
– 5 in Mumbai and 1 in Nagpur.
With that, the total number of positive cases in the state rises to 159.
11.45AM
1,000 buses to carry migrant workers in UP to their hometowns
The Uttar Pradesh government has arranged for 1,000 buses to take the migrant workers to their respective hometowns amid coronavirus lockdown as the total number of COVID-19 cases soared to 873.
“Transportation officers, bus drivers and conductors were called by chief minister Yogi Adityanath last night to make all the arrangements,” said Government of Uttar Pradesh.
Transportation Officers, bus drivers and conductors were called by the CM YogiAdityanath last night to make all the arrangements.
11.40AM
Kerala CM writes to Modi for clearance of road blockage in Thalassery-Coorg State Highway
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene with respect to the action of Karnataka Police, which has resulted in blocking Thalassery-Coorg State Highway 30.
In a letter addressed to the prime minister, Vijayan said that during the crisis, this route is a lifeline for the flow of essential commodities to Kerala. The road connects Kerala with Coorg in Karnataka via Veerajapettah.
The chief minister also said that vehicles carrying essential commodities will have to travel through a longer route to reach Kerala if the road remain blocked.
Vijayan requested the prime minister to urgently intervene in the matter so essential commodities reach the state quicker.
11.20AM
India’s response to COVID-19 is ‘pro-active and graded’, says I&B ministry
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting released a statement on India’s response to the novel coronavirus so far. The ministry stated that the nation’s efforts to contain the virus has been “pre-emptive, pro-active and graded”.
“As many as 20 video conferences by Union Health Secretary with State Governments and 6 by the Cabinet Secretary with the State Chief Secretaries have been held to review the and step up the preparedness to deal with the Corona issue. Integrated disease surveillance system, which includes monitoring of international travellers, is one of the many issues discussed in these Video Conferences,” read the statement.
11.00AM
Indian Railways prepare isolation coaches in trains to fight pandemic
10.50AM
Infosys employee arrested in Bengaluru for post asking people to spread the virus on social media
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) on Friday arrested a software engineer who was employed with Infosys for allegedly putting up a post on social media encouraging people to spread the novel coronavirus.
In his tweet, the accused, Mujeeb Mohammad, 40, wrote, “Let’s join hands, go out and sneeze with an open mouth in public. Spread the virus.”
A CCB official said, “We have arrested the engineer for posting hate messages on social media. He has been booked under the IT Act and under Sections 269 and 270 of the IPC.”
The post went viral on Thursday. Infosys subsequently ordered an internal probe and terminated his employment.
10.40AM
COVID-19 crisis in India can prove to be ‘an opportunity’: US business advocacy group
The ongoing 21-day lockdown in India to combat the coronavirus outbreak can be “an opportunity” for the country as the move shows the government’s transparency in policymaking, a factor which will attract more foreign investments, according to the head of an India-centric US business advocacy group.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a countrywide lockdown for three weeks, restricting a population of over 1.3 billion indoors, in an effort to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus, which has infected over 870 people, including 19 deaths, in India.
It was the right thing to do, US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) president Mukesh Aghi told PTI.
“I’m hearing in the US that it was the right thing to do and it shows Modi’s sign of leadership. Hopefully in three-week time, things will get under more control in India,” he said.
“However, this challenging time can be changed into an opportunity for India,” Aghi said.
India is a “very lucrative market”, he said, “Yes, you have this disruption. This is all over the world and India is no exception. In fact, I see it’s an opportunity in this crisis for India.”
10.30AM
Abbott wins US approval for test that can detect coronavirus in minutes
Abbott Laboratories told Reuters on Friday it won US marketing approval for a diagnostic test for the coronavirus that can deliver results to patients within minutes and be used in physicians’ offices and urgent care clinics, as well as hospitals.
The United States now has more cases of the coronavirus than any other country, and hospitals have struggled to meet the demand to test thousands of people for the often-deadly virus. The US Food and Drug Administration granted the approval under its Emergency Use Authorization.
Abbott said in a statement that it plans to begin distributing the test next week and will ramp up manufacturing to 50,000 tests per day.
10.15AM
Migrant workers walk on foot from different locations in Delhi and Haryana to reach NH-24
09.45AM
Residents block roads with wooden logs in villages
Residents of some villages in Sagara Taluk in Shivamogga put logs of wood to block roads leading to the villages to restrict entry of outsiders in wake of global pandemic, reports ANI.
09.30AM
China reports three deaths, 54 new confirmed cases
China has reported 54 new imported coronavirus cases, taking their tally in the last few days to 649, while the death toll in the country has risen to 3,295 with three more fatalities confirmed on Friday, China’s National Health Commission said on Saturday.
While no new locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 were reported on Friday, the number of coronavirus infections in people returning from abroad has gone up to 649 with 54 new cases reported, it said.
A total of three deaths and 29 new suspected cases were reported in the Chinese mainland on Friday.
09.20AM
US announces $174 mn financial aid for 64 countries, including $2.9 million to India
The United States on Friday announced $174 million financial assistance to 64 countries including $2.9 million to India to help them fight the coronavirus pandemic. This is in addition to the $100 million aid announced by the US in February.
The newly announced assistance is part of a larger American global response package across multiple departments and agencies, including the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The funding is for 64 of the most at-risk countries facing the threat of the global pandemic.
The US State Department said it is providing $2.9 million to help the Indian government prepare laboratory systems, activate case finding and event-based surveillance, and support technical experts for response and preparedness, and more.
09.10AM
US ready to supply ventilators to countries in need: Donald Trump
The United States is ready to supply a large number of ventilators needed by its friends and allies in their fight against the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump said on Friday.
Increasing the production of ventilators and other medical equipment required inside the US to treat the large number of people infected with COVID-19, Trump said his administration will be distributing those throughout the world to other countries.
Trump said when he spoke with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has tested positive for the virus, the first thing that the prime minister asked him for help was ventilators.
“Boris Johnson was asking for ventilators today. Unfortunately, he tested positive. And that’s a terrible thing, but he’s going to be great. I’m sure he’s going to be totally great. But they want ventilators. Italy wants ventilators, Spain wants ventilators, Germany wants ventilators,” he said.
“They’re all calling for ventilators. Well, we’re going to make a lot of ventilators and we’ll take care of our needs, but we’re also going to help other countries,” said the President as he announced that in the next 100 days, the US will be making more than 100,000 ventilators.
.09.00AM
Italy sees highest daily jump of 919 deaths in 24 hrs, toll at 9,134
Italy recorded 919 deaths due to the novel coronavirus on Friday, the highest daily jump in fatalities across the world, while the number of confirmed cases eclipsed the total in China where the virus first emerged.
Italy was the first Western country to introduce severe restrictions on movement after uncovering the outbreak five weeks ago. It has tightened them week by week, banning all non-essential activities until at least next Friday.
The number of confirmed cases rose by 5,959 on Friday to 86,498, taking Italy past China, with the toll at 9,134.
