New Delhi: An astounding 93.5 per cent people in the country believe that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is handling the coronavirus outbreak effectively, a survey revealed on Thursday.

The central government had imposed a 21-day nation-wide lockdown on March 25, which was later extended till May 3.

According to the IANS-C-voter COVID-19 tracker, the number of people who laid trust on the Modi government on the first day of the lockdown was 76.8 but that has now increased to 93.5 per cent as of April 21.

In the survey, the statement -- "I think the Indian government is handling the coronavirus (outbreak) well" -- was put forth before people between March 16 to April 21 and their answers were sought.

On April 16, 75.8 percent people said that they have faith in the government, but the percentage increased after the stringent curbs were imposed in the country.

Interestingly, an overall confidence in the incumbent government saw a sharp rise on April 1. A 89.9 percent people believed that the government is working well in comparison to March 31, when the percentage was 79.4

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With 1,429 more COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's count of coronavirus cases has reached 24,506, said Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday. Out of these, 18,668 patients are active cases and 5063 cases have been cured, discharged, or migrated. The death toll stands at 775, with as many as 57 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

According to the morning update by the ministry, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit State with 6,817 cases of which 840 patients have recovered and 301 patients have died. Gujarat now stands in the second spot with 2,815 cases, of which 265 have recovered and 127 people have died. Meanwhile, Delhi's count stands at 2,514 of which 857 patients have recovered, while 53 patients have lost their lives.

Tamil Nadu's COVID-19 figure stands at 1,755 with 866 patients recovered and 22 fatalities. Rajasthan has reported 2,034 cases of which 230 have recovered and 27 patients are dead. Madhya Pradesh has reported 1,852 positive cases so far of which 210 patients have recovered and 92 patients have lost their lives due to the virus. In Uttar Pradesh, as many as 1,621 people have confirmed COVID-19, of which 247 recovered and 25 people have succumbed to it.

In Kerala, which reported the country's first COVID-19 case, 450 people have been detected positive for coronavirus.

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The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi has developed a COVID-19 test kit, which has got the approval of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). "We started working on it by the end of January and got it ready in three months. We wanted to contribute to affordable low-cost diagnostics that could be used in large numbers," V Perumal, Professor at IIT-Delhi, told ANI.

Perumal said that it is a swab testing kit. "Testing will be cheaper than all existing devices," he said, adding that the device is affordable for commercial production. ICMR had on Thursday approved detection assay for COVID-19, which has been developed by researchers at IIT-Delhi's Kusuma School of Biological Sciences (KSBS).

"The assay has been validated at the ICMR with a sensitivity and specificity of 100 per cent. This makes IIT-Delhi the first academic institute to have obtained ICMR approval for a real-time PCR-based diagnostic assay," read a statement from IIT-Delhi.

This is the first probe-free assay for COVID-19 approved by the ICMR and it will be useful for specific and affordable high throughput testing. It can easily be scaled up as it does not require fluorescent probes. The team is targeting large-scale deployment of the kit at affordable prices with suitable industrial partners as soon as possible.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officers that no public gathering should be allowed in the state till June 30 amid the coronavirus outbreak. "Chief Minister has directed officers that no public gathering be allowed till 30th June. Further decision will be taken depending on the situation," Office of CM Yogi Adityanath tweeted.

The Chief Minister held a meeting with chairpersons of 11 committees of the state over the COVID-19 situation.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are 1,621 coronavirus cases in Uttar Pradesh including 247 cured/discharged and 25 deaths.

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Business magnate Anand Mahindra is known for sharing posts that showcase innovative techniques that people use to make life easy.  The chairman of Mahindra and Mahindra Group has recently tweeted a video of a man’s e-rickshaw and how it helps practice social distancing amid the Coronavirus outbreak. He praised the idea in his tweet in which he also asks one on his teams to take a leaf from.

The viral video shows an e-rickshaw with a wall that divides the seats in the vehicle making it efficient to accommodate four people. The wall will not allow the customers to have any physical contact with each other, while they ride in the rickshaw. “The capabilities of our people to rapidly innovate & adapt to new circumstances never ceases to amaze me,” Mahindra writes in the tweet. He tags Rajesh Jejurikar, the Executive Director of Auto and Farm Sectors in Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd, and writes, “we need to get him as an advisor to our R&D & product development teams!”

The capabilities of our people to rapidly innovate & adapt to new circumstances never ceases to amaze me. @rajesh664 we need to get him as an advisor to our R&D & product development teams! pic.twitter.com/ssFZUyvMr9

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) April 24, 2020

Since shared on Friday, the video has garnered more than 255,200 views with over 34,200 likes and was retweeted more than 7,300 times. The users commenting on the post lauded the creativity behind the vehicle with some asking to introduce a fund for innovators to showcase their talent.

Thats almost a "Quarantine Tuk-Tuk"!!Brilliant!!

— NIRANJANA CHELUR (@MAXCHELUR) April 24, 2020

Necessity is the mother of invention. !!

— Siva Kumar 🇮🇳 (@nakshatrala) April 24, 2020

You should launch a 10year close ended innovation fund. India has abundant innovators if only they could get some support.

— Cold Oatter (@cold_oatter) April 24, 2020

Sir, I am sure all of us would have seen street smart guys/kids through our lives, though they aren't Princeton/Harvard educated..They might not know complex PPT presentation, but they know how to survive challenges!
Glad that you are giving him a platform to showcase his talent!

— ತರà³Âà²²à³Â† 𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓂𝓂𝒶 (@BLRrocKS) April 24, 2020

Super 👌👌👌👌

There is no lack of creativity & capabilities in India.

— Krutika Varu 🇮🇳 (@VaruKrutika) April 24, 2020

What do you think about the video?

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After a late night order on reopening of shops amid the Coronavirus lockdown, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday issued a clarification saying that only standalone shops are allowed to open. It further stated that the order does not apply to COVID-19 containment zones or liquor stores. "In urban areas, all standalone/neighbourhood shops and shops in residential complexes are allowed to open. Shops in markets/market complexes and shopping malls are not allowed to open," the ministry clarified.

The ministry clarified that sales by ecommerce companies will continue to be restricted to essential goods only. It also cleared that liquor stores will be shut as the relaxations do not apply to them. "Sale of liquor and other items continues to be prohibited as specified in the National Directives for COVID-19 management," it added.

Don't hurry: CAIT to traders
The largest traders' body Confederation of All India Traders lauded the decision, but issued a caution to the traders to follow orders by their state governments in the matter and also sanitise shops and market places before resuming business. CAIT's national general secretary Praveen Khandelwal said, "The central government has taken this decision only after fully assessing the present circumstances." "We appeal to traders across the country to not open their shops in their extreme enthusiasm. Since trade and shops is a state subject, only states governments are empowered to take the decision," Khandelwal added.

Shops to open in Gujarat
The Gujarat government on Saturday declared that all the individual shops, neighbourhood shops and other small commercial activities outside containment zones will be permitted from Sunday.

No gatherings in UP
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday made it clear that no public gatherings will be allowed in the state till June 30. "CM Adityanath has given strict instructions to the officers that no crowd of any kind can gather until June 30," Mrityunjay Kumar, media advisor to Aditynath, said on Saturday.

4 N-E states COVID-19 free
With the recovery of the second patient in Tripura on Saturday, four of the eight northeastern states—Tripura, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim—have become Coronavirus-free, officials said on Saturday morning. According to health officials, there are 15 active cases in Assam, 11 in Meghalaya and one in Mizoram, besides a 33-year-old trader from Dimapur, Nagaland, undergoing treatment at the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital since April 12.

'Halting DA unnecessary'
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday opposed the Central government's decision to cut back hike in dearness allowance of government employees and pensioners. In a video message released by the Congress, Singh said, "We should be on the side of people whose DA is being cut. I believe it is not necessary at this stage to enforce hardship on government servants and armed forces personnel."

Man kills wife over kids' future

A man in Delhi allegedly killed his wife after an argument over their children's future turned violent. The couple has nine children and the ongoing lockdown created uncertainty over their future. This was the second marriage for both of them. The accused himself informed the police about the incident. The incident took place in Madipur JJ Colony, which has been declared a containment zone by the authorities. The accused used a stick to kill her.

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With 1,990 more COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's count of coronavirus cases has reached 26,496, said Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday. Out of these, 19,868 patients are active cases and 5804 cases have been cured, discharged, or migrated. The death toll stands at 824, with as many as 49 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. According to the morning update by the ministry, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit State with 7,628 cases of which 1,076 patients have recovered and 323 patients have died.

Gujarat now stands in the second spot with 3,071 cases, of which 282 have recovered and 133 people have died. Meanwhile, Delhi's count stands at 2,625 of which 869 patients have recovered, while 54 patients have lost their lives. Tamil Nadu's COVID-19 figure stands at 1,821 with 960 patients recovered and 23 fatalities. Rajasthan has reported 2,083 cases of which 493 have recovered and 33 patients are dead.

Madhya Pradesh has reported 2,096 positive cases so far of which 210 patients have recovered and 99 patients have lost their lives due to the virus. In Uttar Pradesh, as many as 1,793 people have confirmed COVID-19, of which 261 recovered and 27 people have succumbed to it. In Kerala, which reported the country's first COVID-19 case, 457 people have been detected positive for coronavirus.

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As the deadly coronavirus infection spreads fast in India and elsewhere, even faster is the spread of fake news regarding the pandemic and experts warn this 'infodemic' can have huge economic costs for companies across the world in addition to health concerns for the public at large. While authorities have announced severe penal actions for those spreading fake news regarding this pandemic, which has already caused nearly 2 lakh deaths globally with more than 28 lakh infections since its outbreak in China last December, widespread misinformation surrounding the disease has seen people drinking disinfectants and industrial alcohol while trying various rumoured treatments.

False claims and fake news, mostly forwarded through social media platforms, have also led to several cases of religion-based attacks, hate speeches and other discriminatory activities, while cyber frauds are also on the rise with scamsters seeking to take advantage of the crisis situation. In addition to the damages caused to public health and societal behaviour, experts warn the undeterred wave of fake news poses a huge risk to corporates, for whom it becomes difficult at times to filter out the right information that is crucial for them to ensure success of their business continuity, especially when almost the entire world is locked down.

Farah Lalani, who is a community creator for media, entertainment and information industries at the Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF), said businesses need to be proactive about calling out misinformation that is spreading about their brand, directing customers to official channels and making sure there is always clear and up to date information on all their social accounts. "While bad actors, fraudsters, and uninformed users can spread fabricated or misleading information, if businesses collaborate closely with the entire media ecosystem and regulatory bodies, they can start to work together to solve this very challenging problem," she told PTI.

In India, some organisations including industry bodies and advocacy groups have begun compiling official and credible information about the COVID-19 fight and the ongoing lockdown to help companies in their preparedness for tackling the crisis. Leading advocacy group Chase India, which was among the first to start this practice right from the initial days of the COVID-19 crisis emerging as a major threat in the country, has been sending across multiple daily updates to its clients, including on the latest actions taken by the central and state governments and also on initiatives being taken by various corporates.

Experts said the correct information is necessary for companies to help them understand, analyse and then implement various new guidelines being issued by the central and state governments. "In today's circumstances, besides the current public health crisis of COVID-19 and socio-economic impact related to climate change, one of the biggest concerns is legitimate and timely sourcing of information," Chase India's co-founder and Executive Vice President Manash K Neog said.

"As a public policy consultancy, our key challenge during the pre-lockdown phase was to mitigate frenzy around rumours of lockdown for our clients as it was creating panic for the operational teams of clients. "Further to that, we have institutionalised mechanisms such as our hourly and daily COVID-19 advisory trackers for the central and state governments to support clients with timely and authentic information basis which they are able to better plan their business continuity strategies," he added.

According to experts, companies are working hard to ensure timely access to right information as costs could be too high for them if they fall for some misinformation and in such a situation the role of media is also very important. Releasing a new survey recently, which found that just about one-fourth of the consumers in India currently pay for news but nearly two-thirds are willing to pay, the WEF said the current coronavirus challenge further emphasises the indispensable role that the media plays in society today.

With social media becoming the main platform for spread of false claims, giants like Facebook and Twitter have also begun deleting such posts and taking other actions. Some of the posts deleted on such grounds include those of public figures as well, the most famous being posts shared by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in which he had claimed anti-malaria prescription drug hydroxychloroquine was an effective treatment for COVID-19.

Twitter had also deleted a post by Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro in which he had apparently endorsed a "brew" for eliminating infectious genes. Various social media platforms have also imposed several restrictions on advertisements claiming various cures for COVID-19, while hate content regarding the pandemic is also being dealt with sternly. However, all these steps have not been able to totally eradicate the fake news flow, which the World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described as 'infodemic' in the context of the novel coronavirus.

"We are not just fighting an epidemic, we are fighting an infodemic," he said, referring to fake news as something that "spreads faster and more easily than this virus". United Nations' chief Antonio Guterres too said last month that an "infodemic of misinformation" was also an enemy that we all need to fight while battling COVID-19.

"To overcome the coronavirus, we need to urgently promote 'facts and science' and 'hope and solidarity' over despair and division," he said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India's fight against the coronavirus is "people-driven" and is being fought by the masses and the administration together. "India's fight against coronavirus is actually people-driven. This fight is being fought by the people and the administration together. Every citizen as a soldier is fighting this war," Prime Minister Modi said in his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' address.

The Prime Minister said a vast country like India which is starving for development and fighting a decisive battle against poverty has only this option to fight against coronavirus. "I am confident that in future, whenever there is a discussion regarding the pandemic there will be a reference to Indian's people-driven fight against the infection," he said

The Prime Minister said today's Mann Ki Baat is taking place "when we are in the midst of a 'Yuddh' (war).

"When I talk about a mask, I remember an old thing. You also would be remembering, there was a time when a person seen buying fruits would be questioned whether someone in the family was sick. It meant, fruits could only be consumed during illness, such was the thinking that time. But with changing times, this thinking also changed," he said.

"Similarly, perception regarding the mask is also about to change. You will see that mask will now become a symbol of civilised society. If you want to save yourself and others from disease, then you will have to use a mask. And, I have a simple suggestion, 'Gamcha'," he added.

He added that in changing times due to COVID-19, masks are becoming part of our lives. "We have not been habitual of seeing people around us with masks but this is happening now. It doesn't mean that all those who use masks are sick," the Prime Minister said.

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The Maharashtra government may extend the lockdown in the coronavirus-hit urban areas of the state after May 3, an official said on Sunday. The state government is closely monitoring the situation in areas outside the cities of Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Amravati, a senior state official said. "It is the cities where most of the COVID-19 cases are concentrated. If the state has to relax its current stringent lockdown measures, it would be in rural and least affected
areas of the state. However, we are looking at the scenario as rural and urban areas are connected," he said.

Despite minimum COVID-19 cases in rural areas of Pune district, the industries there have not resumed because most of their workforce live in cities, he said. We need to work out some plans for every city or district-wise to get things moving. The administration needs more time to come up with solutions, hence it is highly unlikely to lift the lockdown restrictions May 3 onwards in all parts of the state, the official said.

State Health Minister Rajesh Tope had on Saturday said the number of COVID-19 cases in the state is not coming down. "The state is yet to reach a stage where the number of coronavirus cases would stabilise. Till then, we cannot take the risk of allowing people to gather at public places in large numbers, Tope said.

The minister, however, said the state government would take a collective decision on what to do once the nationwide lockdown ends on May 3.

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As the world struggles to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday appealed to the people to shun the habit of spitting in public places. Pointing out that it was a case of "better late than never", the Prime Minister said society has understood the negative impact of the spitting habit, which affects health and cleanliness of surroundings.

"We in India always knew that spitting in public places is wrong. Yet, it continued in places. Now is the best time to ensure we do not spit," Modi said in the 64th edition of his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'. "This will increase basic hygiene and strengthen the fight against COVID-19."

The Prime Minister's address came at a time when the entire country is under complete lockdown -- a measure to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus which has so far claimed 824 lives and over 19,800 confirmed cases across the country.

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The total number of Covid-19 cases in the country mounted to 26,917 on Sunday evening, the Union Health Ministry stated. Of the total cases, 20,177 are active cases, 5,913 people have recovered, and 826 people have succumbed to the disease.

Maharashtra remained the worst hit state with a total number of cases rising to 7,628, followed by Gujarat which reported 3,071 cases and Delhi which has reported 2,625 cases, according to the Health Ministry data.

Besides the trio, other states which have jumped the 1,500 mark are Madhya Pradesh (2,096), Rajasthan (2,083), Tamil Nadu (1,821) and Uttar Pradesh (1,843).

Maharashtra has recorded 323 deaths, the highest number of casualties among all the states. The western state is followed by Gujarat at 133, Madhya Pradesh at 99 and Delhi at 54.

Among other major cities, Andhra Pradesh has reported 1,097 and 31 deaths, Bihar stood at 251 cases and two deaths, Haryana at 289 and three deaths, Jammu and Kashmir at 494 cases and six deaths, Karnataka at 501 and 18 deaths and Kerala was docked at 458 and four deaths.

States which have reported less than 10 cases are - Tripura, Mizoram, Puducherry, Manipur, Goa and Arunanchal Pradesh. On the global front, the total number of cases has crossed 2.9 million mark and over two lakh people have died so far.

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Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' address, has given a direction to the Indian citizens for fighting the battle against Coronavirus.

"PM Modi in his 'Mann ki Baat' has said that the battle against Coronavirus has to be won within one month. He had said that by the time Eid comes we will defeat Coronavirus," Javadekar said.

He further said, "Modi had also said that society has shown humanity by ensuring that no one goes hungry during the lockdown." "In today's address, the PM gave a proper direction that is necessary to fight the battle against Coronavirus," he added.

Modi while addressing the nation during his monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' had said that India's fight against the Coronavirus is "people-driven" and is being fought by the masses and the administration together.

He also informed that the government has come up with a digital platform to link volunteers of social organisations, representatives of civil society and local administration.

Tamil Nadu under major lockdown

The complete lockdown in the major urban centres of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai and Coimbatore, came into force on Sunday with groceries and vegetable shops also shutting down as civic bodies intensified disinfection work in their respective regions. While police patrol vehicles and flying squads of civic bodies alone could be seen in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem and Tirupur, people in some localities in north Chennai loitered around.

Standalone shops open up in Delhi

The Delhi government has allowed the standalone shops in the national capital based on the Union Home Ministry's order but the markets and complexes will remain shut, Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal said. He also said that no other relaxation will be given to the city till May 3 — lockdown deadline. "Last Sunday we decided to continue the lockdown without any relaxation. We are giving one relaxation today. The Centre on Friday announced to open some shops and we are implementing it."

Shops sell PPE for as cheap as Rs 198

As they fight the deadly Coronavirus pandemic 24/7, frontline healthcare workers are facing a severe crunch of personal protection equipment (PPE) suits or hazmat suits. Suddenly, several retail shops have cropped up across the country, offering such specialised medical suits at cheap prices. Shops in Tirupur — also called the knitwear city of India — in Tamil Nadu are offering such suits for as low as R198 and R225, take minimum order for 50 suits with courier charges extra.

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The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 872 and the number of cases climbed to 27,892 in the country on Monday, according to the Union Health Ministry. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 20,835 while 6,184 people were cured and discharged, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said. The total number of cases include 111 foreign nationals. A total of 46 deaths were reported since Sunday evening of which 19 fatalities were reported from Maharashtra, 18 from Gujarat, four from Madhya Pradesh, two from West Bengal and one each from Punjab, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Of the 872 deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 342 fatalities, followed by Gujarat at 151, Madhya Pradesh at 103, Delhi at 54, Rajasthan at 33 and Andhra Pradesh at 31. The death toll reached 29 in Uttar Pradesh, 26 in Telengana, 24 in Tamil Nadu, 20 in West Bengal while Karantaka has reported 19 deaths. Punjab has registered 18 fatalities so far. The disease has claimed six lives in Jammu and Kashmir, four in Kerala while Jharkhand and Haryana have recorded three COVID-19 deaths each. Bihar has reported two deaths, while Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Assam have reported one fatality each, according to ministry data. According to the ministry's data updated in the morning, the highest number of confirmed cases in the country are from Maharashtra at 8,068 followed by Gujarat at 3,301, Delhi at 2,918, Rajasthan at 2,185, Madhya Pradesh at 2,096 and Tamil Nadu at 1,885.

The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 1,868 in Uttar Pradesh, 1,097 in Andhra Pradesh and 1,002 in Telangana. Cases have risen to 649 in West Bengal, 523 in Jammu and Kashmir, 503 in Karnataka, 458 in Kerala, 313 in Punjab and 289 in Haryana. Bihar has reported 274 coronavirus cases, while Odisha has 103 cases.Eighty-two people have been infected with the virus in Jharkhand and 50 in Uttarakhand. Himachal Pradesh has 40 cases, Chhattisgarh has 37 cases and Assam has registered 36 infections each so far. Andaman and Nicobar Islands has 33 COVID-19 cases while Chandigarh has 30 cases and Ladakh has reported 20 infections so far. Meghalaya has reported 12 cases, and Goa and Puducherry have seven COVID-19 cases each. Manipur and Tripura have two cases each, while Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have reported a case each. "Our figures are being reconciled with the ICMR," the ministry said on its website. States wise distribution is subject to further verification and reconciliation, it said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to interact with Chief Ministers on Monday, via conferencing, on the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the country.

"At 10 AM, Shri Narendra Modi will be interacting with state Chief Ministers via video conferencing. They will be discussing aspects relating to the COVID-19 situation," PMO tweeted.

Today's meeting comes just a week ahead of the scheduled ending of nationwide lockdown. On March 24, the Prime Minister had announced a 21-day lockdown as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. The lockdown was later extended till May 3.

Meanwhile, speaking on the forthcoming meeting with the Prime Minister, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao said, "The CMs will explain the situation in their respective states at the conference. There will be some estimate on the situation in the country and in the states. Opinions on how the next plan of action will also be figured on Monday's conference. Hence, there will be clarity on the future course of action."

The Prime Minister has already held two such interactions with the Chief Ministers over the COVID-19 situation in the country.

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Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said India should look at converting the world's "hatred" for China amid the coronavirus pandemic into an economic opportunity for itself by attracting large-scale foreign investments.

Interacting with overseas Indian students via video conferencing, the minister for MSME and Road Transport and Highways said across the world now, there is "hatred for China. Is it possible for us to convert it into an opportunity for India?" Referring to the economic package announced by Japan for its businesses exiting China, Gadkari said, "I feel that we should think on that and we will concentrate on it. We will open the Indian scenario for that. We will give the clearances and everything to them and attract foreign investment."

Asked if India can take any action against China incase it is found to have deliberately "suppressed" information on coronavirus, the minister said this was a sensitive subject related with the Ministry of External Affairs and the prime minister, and therefore it will not be appropriate for him to comment on it. Gadkari said all government departments, particularly the finance ministry as well as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), are formulating policies to win the "economic war" post the COVID-19 pandemic and fulfil the prime minister's dream of making India a USD 5 trillion economy. "At the same time, we can make infrastructure of Rs 100 lakh crore," he added.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a video conference with Chief Ministers over the COVID-19 situation, was seen covering his face with a traditional 'gamcha on Monday.

The Prime Minister's 'gamcha' was a plain white colour with a sea green check pattern. Covering the mouth and nose with a traditional 'gamcha' has been the go-to option for Modi in a bid to make people aware of how they can easily take precautions against coronavirus.

Modi wore a 'gamcha' previously for his address to the nation on April 14 during which he announced the extension of the national lockdown till May 3. During a video interaction with Sarpanchs on April 24, Modi again opted for a 'gamcha'. He was seen wearing a homemade white cloth mask in his previous meeting with Chief Ministers on April 11.

With 1,396 more COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's count of coronavirus cases has reached 27,892, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday. Out of the total cases, 20,835 patients are active cases and 6,185 cases have been cured, discharged, or migrated. The death toll stands at 872, with as many as 48 fatalities reported in the last 24 hours.

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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Monday said that he is following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mantra of 'Jaan Bhi Jahan Bhi' as the state government is gradually working on improving the economic situation while adhering to coronavirus guidelines.

His remarks came after attending the meeting of Chief Ministers with the Prime Minister over the prevailing COVID-19 situation. "Now we are working on the mantra 'Jaan Bhi Jahan Bhi' given by the Prime Minister. While strictly following the guidelines of the Government of India, we are gradually working on improving the economic situation. Pharma, food processing units are working, many industries have started under the guidelines,"

Rawat said, according to a release by Uttarakhand CMO "Nine hill districts of the state are free from the influence of Corona. The works of National Highway, MNREGA have been started keeping in mind everything. For the economic revival of the state, a committee of cabinet sub-committee and experts has been formed, whose report will be received soon," he said.

The Chief Minister said that it should be looked at and which economic activities can be started while adhering to all guidelines to combat COVID-19.

Rawat said that Uttarakhand being a tourism and pilgrimage destination has been greatly affected by the lockdown. "But I am confident that under the leadership of the Prime Minister, the situation in the state will improve again," he added. He said that the gates of Gangotri and Yamunotri have been opened on Akshaya Tritiya while maintaining all precautions.

The Chief Minister also suggested that the duration of employment in MNREGA be increased from 100 days to 150 days.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the impact of coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months and masks and face covers will be part of life while asserting that the country needs to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against COVID -19. The remarks came during his interaction with Chief Ministers via video conferencing to discuss the emerging situation and plan ahead for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The country has seen two Lockdowns till now, both different in certain aspects, and now we have to think of the way ahead. As per experts, the impact of coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months," Modi said, according to an official release.

COVID-19 impact will remain visible in coming months, need to fight it with impetus on economy: Modi

Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/6eX7vLdAgn pic.twitter.com/aBYrrrTzQy

— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) April 27, 2020

Reiterating the mantra of 'do gaz doori', he said that "masks and face covers will become part of our lives in the days ahead". "We have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against COVID -19," Modi said. The Prime Minister underlined that the lockdown has yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months.

"India's population is comparable to that of the combined population of several countries. The situation in many countries, including India, was almost similar at the start of March. However, due to timely measures, India has been able to protect many people," he said.

Prime Minister Modi, however, forewarned that the danger of the virus is far from over and constant vigilance is of paramount importance. "Prime Minister Modi added that under the circumstances, everyone's aim must be rapid response. He pointed out that many people are self-declaring whether they have cough and cold or symptoms, and that this is a welcome sign," the release said.

Prime Minister said that we have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against COVID -19. He emphasized on the importance of usage of technology as much as possible and also to utilize time to embrace reform measures: PMO on PM's meeting with CMs pic.twitter.com/cjk9KaY6IQ

— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020

The Prime Minister emphasised on the importance of usage of technology as much as possible and also to utilize time to embrace reform measures and on the significance of ensuring that more people download the AarogyaSetu app to bolster the efforts of the country in the battle against COVID-19.

"We have to be brave and bring in reforms that touch the lives of common citizens. People associated with Universities can be integrated on devising ways to fight the pandemic and strengthen research as well as innovation," he said. He also highlighted the importance for states to enforce guidelines strictly in the hotspots i.e. the red zone areas. "The efforts of the states should be directed towards converting the red zones into orange and thereafter to green zones," he said.

On the issue of getting back Indians who are overseas, the Prime Minister said that this has to be done keeping in mind the fact that they don't get inconvenienced and their families are not under any risk. He also urged Chief Ministers to factor in the changes in weather - advent of summer and monsoon - and the illnesses that can potentially come in this season, while strategizing ahead. Union Home Minister Amit Shah reaffirmed the need to enforce lockdown so that maximum lives are saved.

"The Chief Ministers praised the leadership of the Prime Minister during this period of crisis, and also highlighted the efforts undertaken by them in containing the virus. They spoke about the need to keep a close vigil on international borders, and also on addressing the economic challenge and ways to further boost health infrastructure. The leaders expressed gratitude towards the police force and medical staff for the exemplary work done by them in the fight against COVID-19," read the release.

Impact of Coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months, masks & face covers will be part of our life: PM Narendra Modi in his video conference meeting with Chief Ministers pic.twitter.com/aEhVdXnuBx

— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020

This was the fourth such interaction of the Prime Minister with the Chief Ministers, the earlier ones had been held on March 20, April 2, and April 11. Today's meeting comes just a week ahead of the scheduled ending of the nationwide lockdown. On March 24, the Prime Minister had announced a 21-day lockdown as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. The lockdown was later extended till May 3.

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The mortality rate in Maharashtra due to coronavirus is 4.24 per cent said the State Health Department on Monday. "With 440 new COVID-19 cases, the total number of cases in Maharashtra has mounted to 8,068. Besides, the total number of deaths has reached 342 after 19 new deaths were reported," said an official statement from the Health Department.

The statement also said, "While India's mortality rate is 3.13%, the mortality rate in Maharashtra due to coronavirus is at 4.24 per cent."

According to the latest update by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of coronavirus cases in the country stands at 27,892, of which 6185 have recovered/migrated and 872 patients have succumbed to the disease.

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As many as 1,396 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 27,892 in India, said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, here on Monday. He said that a total of 381 people have recovered in the past day and the recovery rate now stands at 22.17 per cent.

Briefing the press here, Agarwal said: "1,396 new positive cases were reported in the last 24 hours, which takes our total confirmed cases to 27,892." "20,835 people are under active medical supervision. 381 patients got cured in the past one day. The total number of cured people is 6,184. Recovery rate has surged to 22.17 per cent," added Agarwal.

"16 districts in the country, which earlier had cases, have not reported any fresh cases for the last 28 days. The three new districts, which got added to this list are -- Gondia in Maharashtra, Devangere in Karnataka and Lakhisarai in Bihar," said Agarwal. Apart from that, 85 districts in States and Union Territories have not reported any new cases in the last 14 days, he said.

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As India battles COVID-19, the corona cases on Monday soared to 28,380 with 1,463 new cases and 60 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, as per the data shared by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday evening. The total coronavirus cases in India are inclusive of 6,361 cured and discharged patients, one migrated and 886 deaths. At present, there are 21,132 active COVID-19 cases in the country.

Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, here on Monday said that 16 districts in the country, which earlier had cases, have not reported any fresh case for the last 28 days. The three new districts, which got added to this list are -- Gondia in Maharashtra, Devangere in Karnataka and Lakhisarai in Bihar. Apart from that, 85 districts in States and Union Territories have not reported any new cases in the last 14 days, he said.

Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has advised the State governments to go for the RT-PCR test, which "detects the virus early and is the best strategy to identify and isolate the individual." The advisory with the subject line -- 'Advisory on Rapid Antibody Blood Tests Regarding' -- states: "ICMR advocates that RT-PCR throat/nasal swab test is the best use for diagnosis of COVID-19. RT-PCR test detects the virus early and is the best strategy to identify and isolate the individual."

"Several states have procured rapid antibody test kits and on their demand, the ICMR has also provided these kits with clear instructions that they are to be used only for surveillance purpose. Some States have raised issues regarding their performance during the testing exercise that they have undertaken." The States have also been advised by the ICMR to stop using these kits procured from the two companies -- Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics -- and return them to be sent back to the suppliers.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday also asserted that not a single rupee was lost on rapid antibody test procurement. "After the receipt of some supplies, the ICMR has again conducted quality checks on these kits in field conditions. Based on the scientific assessment of their performance, the order in question (Wondfo) along with the order in respect of another make found under-performing have been cancelled.

It needs to be stressed that ICMR has not made any payment whatsoever in respect of these supplies. Because of the due process followed (not going for procurement with 100 per cent advance amount), the Government of India does not stand to lose a single rupee," said a press release from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Lockdown has yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday while interacting with Chief Ministers via video conference on the prevailing COVID-19 situation.

"Lockdown has yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months. India's population is comparable to that of the combined population of several countries. The situation in many countries, including India, was almost similar at the start of March. He, however, he warned that the danger of the virus is far from over and constant vigilance is of paramount importance.

During the video conference, various Chief Ministers put forth their views and suggestions to contain the coronavirus and mitigate the resultant woes. Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy sought an economic package, saying that majority of the Chief Ministers wanted the continuation of the lockdown after May 3 due to the rise in coronavirus cases in the country.

"Most of the Chief Ministers told the Prime Minister that the lockdown should continue and that some economic activity should be started slowly," he said. "These Chief Ministers were of the view that the way in which cases are increasing, there should be a cautious approach and the Prime Minister should take a call on the basis of their observation. Even most of the BJP-ruled states' CMs said that lockdown should be continued and economic activities should be started slowly," said Narayanasamy.

In a significant move, Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde on Monday said that the apex court has given proper directions to the Centre to provide food, shelter, psychological counselling and other basic necessities to the needy people during the lockdown.

"We have given proper directions to the Central government to provide food, shelter, psychological counselling and other basic necessities to the needy people during this COVID-19 lockdown," CJI Bobde told reporters here. He said that the judiciary is doing whatever it can at this time of crisis.

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At a time when the pandemic is making us realise the importance of protecting the environment, the proposal for the Etalin Hydro-Electric Project (3,097 MW) in Arunachal Pradesh's Dibang Valley was placed for approval before the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on April 23. It has not gone down well with conservationists as about 2.7 lakh trees have to be cut down to make way for the project.

Speaking to mid-day, Arjun Kamdar, who is studying MSc Wildlife Biology and Conservation at National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, said, "The proposed Etalin dam is slated to be the largest hydro-project in the country, which will not only destroy the biodiversity of the region but also threaten the lives of millions of people who live downstream. Independent studies have shown that as these rivers are glacier-fed, climate change will render these projects inefficient within the next 30 years."

Pic/Arjun Kamdar

Bittu Sahgal, editor, Sanctuary Asia magazine, said, "Building dams in the Himalayas, when melting of glacier has rendered river flow data unreliable and outdated, is patently artless. Besides, clearly the Standing Committee of the MoEFCC and the Forest Clearance Committee has not applied its mind to the reality that the forests they so nonchalantly, some might suggest illegally, destroy are more valuable as infrastructures in an era of accelerating climate crisis, of both survival and commerce than the dams that are at risk of becoming stranded assets even before the first turbines turn. The banks have obviously not done their risk analysis diligently. Its also time for us to question the wisdom of the MoEFCC and their choice of independent members, who have probably not understood the importance of the reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and WHO, which point to deforestation as a key factor that could lead to the next pandemic from displaced species that come into contact with humans."

Conservationist and Director of The Corbett Foundation, Kedar Gore, said, "No compensatory afforestation programme can ever replace the irreversible loss of 2.7 lakh trees. There are very few areas remaining in India with such extraordinary biodiversity wealth, much of which is endemic. It is unfortunate that such projects are being pushed through ignoring all appeals from scientists and conservationists. It is indeed shocking that the COVID-19 pandemic has still not opened the eyes of our policymakers."

It may be noted back the forest advisory committee has already discuss the issue of forest clearance for the project in the meeting that took place on April 23rd but there has no been any final decision that has been taken.

According to the plans the hydroelectric project will be coming up in dibang valley which is one of the most biodiversity Himalayan zones in Arunachal Pradesh. The project will involve diversion of 1150.08 hectares of land having rich biodiversity and it will require cutting of 2.7 lakh trees from the “subtropical evergreen broad-leaved and subtropical rainforest

When contacted, actor Dia Mirza, who is also UNEP Goodwill Ambassador and UN Secretary Generals Advocate for SDGs, said, "Humanity is experiencing firsthand the effects of biodiversity loss and wild nature from the COVID-19 pandemic. If there is one thing this human crisis must teach us to do, it will be to acknowledge the linkages between ecological balance and health. This bio-diverse region cannot and must not be devastated by this project."

Rare and important species found in the area includes

Mishmi Takin (endangered goat) , clouded leopard, tigers, himalayan serow, Asiatic bgolden cat, Sclater's monal, Mishmi wren babbler, Marbled cat and Mishmi giant flying Squirrel.

4. Herpetologist Kedar Bhide said , "Arunachal should be declared as complete eco sensitive zone with respect to it's biodiversity as well as cultural diversity . Any large ill conceived projects like hydro electric power or a highway infra projects should not be even thought in such ecological and cultural sensitive area".

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As India enters the final week of the lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday conveyed to chief ministers that the country will have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against the Novel Coronavirus.

In a video-conference with the chief ministers, fourth such interaction since March 22 when he first spoke to them on the pandemic, Modi also highlighted the importance for states to enforce prescribed guidelines strictly in the Coronavirus hotspots, the government said in a statement.

The PM underlined that the nationwide lockdown has "yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one-and-a-half months", it said. "The PM said that the country has seen two lockdowns till now, both different in certain aspects, and now we have to think of the way ahead. He said that as per experts, the impact of Coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months," the statement added.

Modi also said that masks and face covers will become part of lives of people in the days ahead, adding everyone's aim must be to ensure rapid response under the current circumstances. He emphasised on the importance of the use of technology as much as possible. "The situation in many countries, including India, was almost similar at the start of March. However, due to timely measures, India has been able to protect many people," the statement said quoting the Prime Minister.

CRPF reaches out to cops over jawan's arrest

The CRPF has taken up with the Karnataka Police the "unpleasant" case of alleged manhandling and handcuffing of its CoBRA commando by cops and has sent a team to follow-up on the matter, officials said on Monday. The CoBRA unit of the CRPF specialises in guerrilla tactics and jungle warfare. The force has written a letter to Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP), Praveen Sood stating that the "unpleasant situation could have been avoided had the state police taken the CRPF hierarchy into confidence before making the arrest" of the jawan on April 23 in Belagavi district.

As govts decide on next plan of action...

. SC rejects petition: The SC on Monday declined to entertain a petition seeking direction to the Centre to conduct en masse door-to-door testing for COVID-19 and challenging the validity of PM CARES fund, and termed it having "political colour."

. Kanpur a Corona hotspot: With 33 more Corona positive cases emerging in the past 24 hours, Kanpur is now a major COVID-19 hotspot in UP after Agra. The tally of Corona positive cases in Kanpur is now 185 and the city has 25 hotspots.

.Lockdown extension: Odisha Health Minister, Naba Kishore Das on Monday said that the COVID-19 lockdown should be extended for another month. "There is a need for the extension of lockdown and it should further be extended by one month," said Das after attending the video-conference of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and chief ministers of all states.

. COVID cess on ultra-rich: Former Karnataka chief minister, H D Kumaraswamy on Monday suggested imposing "COVID cess" on the ultra rich to offset the loss of revenue, as he called for citizen-centric measures and lower the cost of living, to help those affected by the lockdown.

. Relaxations in Meghalaya: The Meghalaya government on Monday relaxed a number of activities including sale of essential goods, courier services for essential goods, e-commerce operations in essential goods and Common Service Centres during the lockdown period.

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With 1,543 more COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's tally of coronavirus cases has reached 29,435 cases, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.

The tally includes 21,632 patients who are active cases, 6,868 patients have been cured/discharged with one patient migrated.

With 62 more deaths reported in the last 24 hours, making it the sharpest rise in the number of deaths so far, the number of deaths due to coronavirus stands at 934.

According to the ministry, Maharashtra has the most number of cases at 8,590 of which 1,282 have been cured/discharged with 369 fatalities.

Gujarat has the second-highest number of positive COVID-19 cases with 3,548 cases of which 394 patients have been cured/discharged while 162 patients have died due to the deadly virus.

Delhi's tally has also crossed the 3,000 mark with 3,108 cases with 877 patients cured and 54 patients who died due to the highly contagious virus.

Meanwhile, Goa (seven cases and all seven patients recovered), Tripura and Manipur (two cases and both cases recovered) and Arunachal Pradesh (with one case who has recovered now) have reported no new cases, as of Tuesday.

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Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Monday raised the issue of low salary paid to the intern doctors performing their duty amid the nationwide lockdown to combat coronavirus and demanded that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath should raise their pay.

"Intern MBBS doctors in UP are performing their duty in this crisis with all sincerity. Their lives are also in danger. And they get only Rs 250 per day. Chief Minister Yogi Aditynathji, their salary is very low. In my understanding, it is your duty to increase the salary of intern doctors at this time of crisis," Priyanka Gandhi, who is also the party in-charge for eastern Uttar Pradesh, said in a tweet.

Her remarks came after several intern doctors in the state raised the issue of getting Rs 250 per day. On Monday, the total number of Covid-19 cases in Uttar Pradesh rose to 1,955 with 31 people losing their lives due to the pandemic across the state. A total of 335 people have been cured in the state so far.

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Restrictions enforced in West Bengal to fight Covid-19 will continue till May 21 with curbs on normal life varying in intensity based on the extent of spread of the viral infection in a particular area, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday.

"We want the restrictions to continue till May 21. We have to be careful till that time," Banerjee told media persons at the state secretariat Nabanna.

The Chief Minister, however, clarified that she was not announcing any extension on lockdown, as that decision will be taken by the central government. "I am talking of restrictions, which is different from the lockdown," she added.

Banerjee said while the restrictions would be strictly implemented in every red zone (areas with a large number of corona positive cases), the impact will be less severe in orange zones (areas with a limited number of cases in the past and with no surge in positive cases recently, where restricted activities would be allowed).

Districts with no coronavirus positive cases are included in green zones.

"If an area which is now an orange zone, shows an increase in the prevalence of the disease and enters the red zone, the restrictions will be made stiffer, and vice versa. There will be more relaxations given in the green zones, but the areas will be placed under stiffer restrictions if more positive cases are detected putting them under orange or red zone categories," she said.

The Chief Minister announced the formation of a cabinet committee on COVID management, chaired by Finance and Industries Minister Amit Mitra. Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, and Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya will be part of the committee. Mitra and Chatterjee will work from home.

The Chief Secretary, the Health Secretary, and the Home Secretary will be among the committee members. Banerjee said her government was discussing on resuming more activities in rural areas that come under the green zone.

She announced that home delivery companies, which were so long allowed to ferry only essential goods, would now be permitted to reach non-essential items also.

"We have to think of giving relaxations that won't harm the people," she said. She said though relaxations have been given on 100 days' job guarantee scheme, the problem was in getting labourers.

The Chief Minister appealed to the centre to ensure international borders were closed, and not allow domestic and international flights, and train services till the situation normalises. Inter-state bus services or travel also should not be allowed, except for emergencies.

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With 1,594 new cases of COVID-19 reported in the last 24 hours and 51 deaths, India's total count of coronavirus cases surged to 29,974, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.

1594 new cases and 51 deaths reported in last 24 hours. India's total number of #Coronavirus positive cases rises to 29,974 (including 22010 active cases, 7027 cured/discharged/migrated and 937 deaths): Ministry of Health and Family Welfare pic.twitter.com/XKEarSluZm

— ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2020

The total cases are inclusive of 7,026 cured and discharged patients, one migrated and 937 deaths. At present, there are 22,010 active COVID-19 cases in the country.

Addressing a press conference here, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, said that in the last 28 days, 17 districts have had no new Covid-19 cases. "This means we need to maintain constant vigil," he added.

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New Delhi: The Health Ministry on Tuesday said currently plasma therapy is at the experimental stage and there is no evidence yet to support that it can be used as a treatment for COVID-19.
Addressing a press briefing, Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said currently there are no approved therapies for COVID-19 and there is not enough evidence to claim that plasma therapy can be used for the treatment of the disease.

"ICMR has launched a national-level study to study the efficacy of plasma therapy in the treatment of COVID 19," he said.

"Till ICMR concludes its study and a robust scientific proof is available, plasma therapy should be used only for research or trial purpose. If plasma therapy is not used in a proper manner under proper guidelines, then it can also cause life-threatening complications," said Agarwal.

The official said that the doubling rate of coronavirus cases now stands at 10.2 days.
He further said that in the last 24 hours, 1,543 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported, taking the total cases to 29,435.

"6,868 COVID-19 patients, which is 23.3 per cent of total cases, have recovered so far," he added.

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A total of 6,869 people have been cured of coronavirus in India so far, taking the recovery rate to 23.3 per cent, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.

A total of 1,543 new cases of coronavirus have been identified, which take the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 29,435, said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry,
here on Tuesday.

On Monday, the ministry had put the recovery rate from COVID-19 at 22.17 per cent. Addressing a press conference here, Agarwal said: "With 1,543 new cases, there are 29,435 positive cases in India till now. So far, 6,869 people have recovered including 684 people who recovered yesterday. This takes our recovery rate to 23.3 per cent. This is a progressive increase in the recovery rate."

Agarwal said that in the last 28 days, 17 districts have had no new case. "This means we need to maintain constant vigil," he added.

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After two Sadhus were found murdered in Bulandshahr the Congress has attacked the Chief Minister for deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Congress Working Committee member and former Union Minister Jitin Prasada has demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The murder of the two Sadhus came after a family of five have been found dead under mysterious circumstances.

Prasada in a press statement said, "It's time that the chief minister should step down as law and order situation is worsening day by day."

The Brahmin leader of UP has been accusing the government of targeted killing of Brahmins in the state and said that the government is trying to cover up such cases.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra earlier tweeted that there should be no politics over the killing of sadhus but the Congress leaders have ceased the opportunity to attack the government.

Priyanka Gandhi in her tweet said, "Today in Bulandshahr, two sadhus were murdered while they were sleeping. The truth must come out after investigation in this heinous crime and at this stage no body should politicize this issue."

Two sadhus were found murdered inside a Shiva temple at Pagona village of Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.

The murder came to light when people reached the temple on Tuesday morning and saw the blood-soaked bodies. According to reports, the deceased have been identified as Jagandas (55), and Sevadas (35).

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance of the incident and directed the district officials to inform him of the investigations. He has also ordered strict action against the accused. One of the accused has been arrested by the police.

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The Coronavirus outbreak has infected scores of people across the globe and claimed many lives. As people stare into uncertainty, many doctors, nurses and other healthcare staffs have been battling the pandemic on the frontline to ensure things go back to normal as soon as possible. Amid such a time, a video of doctors across the country dancing to Pharrell Williams’ hit song, Happy, has been made the internet smile with hope.

Posted by the Ministries of Memories on Instagram, the makers of the video said in the caption that they were trying to bring ‘some sunshine and raising awareness for mental health.’ The video has 60 doctors from cities such as Pune, Surat, Nagpur, Bengaluru, Prayagraj, Indore, Agra, Gurugram, Delhi, Kochi, Lucknow and Kolkata busting some gracious moves.

The wide-shared video has been conceptualised by Dr Pooja Nadkarni Singh, Dr Sheetal Sawankar and Dr Unnati Mamtora and they are calling the video, a ‘Song of Hope’.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Puja & Rahul Kedia (@theministryofmemories) onApr 24, 2020 at 10:35pm PDT

Posted on Saturday, the video has garnered more than 36,102 views on Instagram and has received 2,646 likes. The users commenting on the video lauded the makers of the video for sending the message through such a peppy song.

A user said, "Take a bow, respected Medicos! You and your dedicated, lovely staff are performing divine Seva! May God help you always grow from strength to strength! Love you all! Thank you for stretching that bit more to make this amazing video and regaling our hearts!." Another user said, "Absolutely loved this....Thank you for bringing a smile in such anxious times." One user said, "Great job on spreading some smiles, kudos to the whole team."

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India's tally of COVID-19 cases has reached 31,332, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. With 73 more deaths reported, the number of deaths due to coronavirus in the country breached the 1,000 mark and stood at 1,007. The tally is inclusive of 22,629 active coronavirus cases, 7,695 patients who have been cured/discharged and one patient migrated.

According to the Ministry, Maharashtra has the most number of COVID-19 cases with 9,318 cases of which, 1,388 patients have been cured/discharged while 400 patients have succumbed to the virus. Gujarat has the second-highest number of positive cases in the country with 3744 cases including 434 patients cured/discharged and 181 deaths.

Delhi's tally stands at 3314 cases of which, 1078 patients have recovered while 54 patients have succumbed to the virus. Madhya Pradesh has a total of 2387 positive cases including 377 patients recovered/discharged and 120 fatalities.

Meanwhile, Goa (seven cases; all seven recovered), Arunachal Pradesh (one case; now recovered), Manipur (two cases; both recovered), Tripura (two cases; both recovered) have reported no new cases of COVID-19.

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Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases in India, the health ministry on Tuesday, issued home quarantine guidelines for people who have very mild symptoms of COVID-19. According to the guidelines, those with mild syptoms can opt for home isolation but will have to be in constant communication with the District Surveillance Officer, and a hospital and will have to sign an undertaking.

The present guidelines were issued in addition to guidelines on appropriate management of suspect/confirmed cases of Covid-19 issued by the Health Ministry on April 7

.@MoHFW_INDIA has issued guidelines for Home Isolation of very mild/pre-symptomatic COVID-19 cases: Media briefing on #COVID19

Details: https://t.co/koNEShuVZ7 pic.twitter.com/6wUPLNg9Ne

— PIB India #StayHome #StaySafe (@PIB_India) April 28, 2020

As per the revised guidelines, patients who have mild symptoms or are pre-symptomatic can now opt for self-isolation at their homes but they need to follow the norms laid down by the Health Ministry. 

Who is eligibile for self isolation at home?

COVID-19 patients who have been clinically assigned as a very mild case or pre-symptomatic case by the treating medical officer are eligible for self-isolation at home.

What are the pre-requisites in order to self-isolate at home?

• Patients who are eligible for self-isloation at home must have a requisite facility at their place of residence for self-isolation. More so, the patients must also ensure that there is enough space for other members of the family to quarantine at home.
• The patient must have a caregiver who can look after the patient and provide care 24x7. 
• Another prerequisite is that there should be a communication link between the caregiver of the patient and the hospital during the entire duration of home isolation.
• The caregiver and all the close contacts of the COVID-19 patient should take Hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis as per the protocol and as prescribed by the treating medical officer.
• The patient has monitor his or her health and regularly inform their health status to the District Surveillance Officer for further follow up by the surveillance teams.
• Finally, the patient needs to fill an undertaking on self-isolation stating that they shall follow all home quarantine guidelines laid down by the Health Ministry.

When should a COVID-19 patient seek medical attention?

According to the revised guidelines issued by the Health Ministry, mild or pre-symptomatic patients shall seek immediate medical attention on the following grounds.

• When they face difficulty in breathing
• If they experience persistent pain/pressure in the chest
• Feel mentally confused or inability to arouse
• If they develop bluish discolorations of lips or face
• And if advised by treating medical officers

When will home isolation end?

Home isolation for COVID-19 patients can only be discontinued when the symptoms are clinically resolved and the surveillance medical officer certifies the mild or pre-symptomatic patient to be free of infection after the necassary laboratory testing.

Do's and don'ts for self-isolation patients and caregivers

• Caregivers must wear triple layered medical mask when in the same room with the COVID-19 patient.
• Caregivers should avoid direct contact with body fluids of the patient, especially oral or respiratory secretions.
• Caregivers must use disposable gloves while handling the patient. Hand hygiene should be undertaken done before and after removing gloves.
• Caregivers should pay strict attention to hand hygiene before and after preparing food, before eating, after using the toilet, and whenever the hands look dirty.
• Caregivers should avoid sharing cigarettes, eating from the same utensils, or exposing themselves to used towels or bed linen.
• COVID-19 patient should wear triple layer medical mask at all times. The patient must discard the mask after eight hours of use or earlier if they have become wet or visibly soiled.
• The patient must isolate themselves in a room and stay way from people.
• Patient must stay away from the elderly who maybe suffering from co-morbid conditions like hypertension, cardiovascular disease, renal disease.
• During self-isolation, mild or pre-symptomatic patients must drink lots of fluids to stay hydrated and follow respiratory etiquette all the time.

With inputs from Agencies

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Chandumama Sonawane Hospital and Meera Hospital in Pune have been declared as dedicated hospitals for COVID-19 positive pregnant women, said Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Chandumama Sonawane Hospital is run by the PMC while Meera Hospital is a private hospital Meanwhile, the total number of positive cases in Pune district has climbed to 1,491 and the death toll stands at 83, informed the Health Department, Zilla Parishad, Pune on Tuesday.

Maharashtra, one of the most affected states in the country, has reported 9,318 COVID-19 cases so far The state reported 729 new cases on Tuesday, as per the latest data provided by the state Health Department.

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 A Qatar Airways special flight carrying 267 people onboard departed for London from Amritsar Airport on Wednesday morning. "Amritsar International Airport. Qatar Airways departed today morning: ATQ-Doha-LHR; Pax details as below: British 222, Indian 44, Chinese 01. Total 267," KBS Sidhu, Special Chief Secretary, Punjab, tweeted.

A relief flight of the British Airways had operated chartered flights to carry out several round of evacuation last week for its people who have been stranded in India due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Special flights from Bengaluru via Ahmedabad to London, Goa to London, and Mumbai to London have also operated on several dates this month. 

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India's tally of COVID-19 cases has reached 31,332, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. With 73 more deaths reported, the number of deaths due to coronavirus in the country breached the 1,000 mark and stood at 1,007.

The tally is inclusive of 22,629 active coronavirus cases, 7,695 patients who have been cured/discharged and one patient migrated.

According to the Ministry, Maharashtra has the most number of COVID-19 cases with 9,318 cases of which, 1,388 patients have been cured/discharged while 400 patients have succumbed to the virus.

Gujarat has the second-highest number of positive cases in the country with 3744 cases including 434 patients cured/discharged and 181 deaths.

Delhi's tally stands at 3314 cases of which, 1078 patients have recovered while 54 patients have succumbed to the virus.

With 1813 new cases & 71 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of #COVID19 positive cases in India rises to 31787 (including 22982 active cases, 1008 deaths, 7797 cured/discharged and 1 migrated): Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare pic.twitter.com/Vu77dQ3K2m

— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2020

Madhya Pradesh has a total of 2387 positive cases including 377 patients recovered/discharged and 120 fatalities.

Meanwhile, Goa (seven cases; all seven recovered), Arunachal Pradesh (one case; now recovered), Manipur (two cases; both recovered), Tripura (two cases; both recovered) have reported no new cases of COVID-19.

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Hitting out at the Congress party, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that wilful defaulters were beneficiaries of 'phone banking' under the UPA regime and the Modi government is chasing them to recover the dues. She was responding to the opposition's allegations of loan waivers worth Rs 68,607 crore in the form of write-offs of top 50 wilful defaulters during the first half of the financial year ended March 2020. The Finance Minister, through a series of tweets posted late night on Tuesday, said that the Congress has attempted to mislead people, and former Congress President Rahul Gandhi should introspect why his party fails to play a constructive role in cleaning up the system. "Shri @RahulGandhi MP (LS) and Shri @rssurjewala spokesperson of @INCIndia have attempted to mislead people in a brazen manner.

Typical to @INCIndia, they resort to sensationalising facts by taking them out of context. In the following tweets wish to respond to the issues raised. "@INCIndia and Shri.@RahulGandhi should introspect why they fail to play a constructive role in cleaning up the system. Neither while in power, nor while in the opposition has the @INCIndia shown any commitment or inclination to stop corruption & cronyism," she said. Highlighting that between 2009-10 and 2013-14, scheduled commercial banks had written off Rs 1,45,226 crore, she quipped, 'Wished Gandhi consulted former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on what this writing-off was about'. She also referred to media reports quoting former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan as having said that a large number of bad loans originated in the period 2006-2008 and "too many loans were made to well-connected promoters who have a history of defaulting on their loans".

"Those defaulters who do not repay despite having capacity to pay, divert or siphon-off funds, or dispose of secured assets without bank's permission are categorised as wilful defaulters. They are those well connected promoters who benefitted from UPA's `phone banking'," she added. In another tweet she said, "Earlier, on 18.11.2019, in the Lok Sabha for an unstarred Question no:52, a list of 'Borrowers flagged as wilful defaulter by Public Sector Banks under CRILIC (Central Repository of Information on Large Credits) reporting as on 30.09.2019 (For borrowers with exposure of Rs. 5 crore and above, Global operations) was provided."

Bank-wise details of aggregate funded amount outstanding and amount technically/prudentially written off pertaining to top 50 wilful defaulters was provided as an annex to the answer to Lok Sabha starred question 305 of Gandhi on March 16, 2020. However, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said he had asked the government in Parliament the names of the top 50 bank loan defaulters, but the Finance Minister did not answer his question. "Now the RBI has given the names of Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and many of BJP's ''friends'' in the list of bank frauds. That is why this truth was held back from Parliament," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

The Congress alleged the government waived loans worth Rs 6.66 lakh crore since 2014 till September 2019. Sitharaman said this is an attempt of Congress leaders to mislead on wilful defaulters, bad loans and write-offs. She emphasised that it is the Narendra Modi-led government which is pursuing cases against these wilful defaulters and 9,967 recovery suits, 3,515 FIRs, invoking of Fugitive Amendment Act in cases are on now. The total value of attachment and seizures in the cases of Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya is about Rs 18,332.7 crore, she said. Sharing details, she tweeted: "Vijay Mallya Case: Total value at the time of attachment was Rs 8,040 crore and of seizure was Rs 1,693 crore. Value of shares at the time of seizure was Rs 1,693 crore. Declared fugitive offender. On extradition request by GoI, UK High Court, has also ruled for extradition."

In case of Mehul Choksi she said, "attachments of Rs 1,936.95 crore including foreign attachment of Rs 67.9 crore. Seizure of Rs 597.75 crore. Red Notice issued. Extradition request sent to Antigua. Hearing for declaration of Mehul Choksi as fugitive offender is in progress." On the Nirav Modi case, the Finance Minister said, "Immovable and movable properties worth more than Rs 2,387 crore attached/seized. (Attachment Rs 1,898 crore and Seizure Rs 489.75 crore). This includes foreign attachments of Rs 961.47 crore. Auction of luxury items for Rs 53.45 crore. He is in prison in the UK."

Provisions are made for non-performing assets (NPAs) as per the four-year provisioning cycle laid down by the RBI, she said, adding, upon full provisioning being done banks write-off the fully provided NPA but continue to pursue recovery against the borrower and no loan is waived off. On Tuesday, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala demanded answers from the Prime Minister on why their loans were waived. "This is a classic case of promoting ''dupe, deceive and depart'' policy of the Modi government, which can no longer be accepted and the prime minister has to answer," Surjewala said. He said the entire country is fighting the coronavirus and the government has no money to pay.

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ates, but has the money to condone and write off Rs 68,607 crore of bank loan defaulters.

Central teams, which were tasked to check preparedness of districts with a high load of Coronavirus cases, found that infection prevention control practices were not properly followed in several hospitals raising concerns over safety of healthcare workers, official sources said.

Six high-level multi-disciplinary teams were constituted by the Union health ministry to assist and review state health departments for proper implementation of cluster containment plans for large outbreaks and check hospital preparedness for COVID-19. Teams comprising experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), AIIMS and ICMR among others visited states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, which have high case load districts. They visited the stated between second and third week of April.

"They have observed that infection prevention control practices were not being followed properly during sample collection and treatment of confirmed cases raising concerns over the possibility of healthcare workers getting infected and leading to further transmission," the sources said. They have recommended that such infection prevention control guidelines should be strictly followed in hospitals. Several healthcare workers have been infected by COVID-19 across the country. Asked about the number of infected healthcare personnel, an official said no such centralised data has been maintained.

No April, May pay for Spicejet staff

SpiceJet told its pilots that they will not be paid salaries for April and May, and said those who have been operating cargo flights will get paid for "block hours flown". SpiceJet's flight operations chief, Gurcharan Arora told pilots through an email that "as of today, 16 per cent of our aircraft and 20 per cent of our pilots are flying".

Jamaatis asked to donate plasma

Tablighi Jamaat members, who got cured of COVID-19, have been asked by their organisation to donate their plasma for treatment of other COVID-19-infected patients, a move that the outfit thinks will help it shed its "villain" tag. "Maulana Saad, in an open letter on April 21 has appealed them to donate their plasma to help others. The message has reached all the members," Maulana Anees Ahmad Nadvi, the manager of Tablighi Jamaat's Lucknow branch, told PTI on Wednesday.

Punjab extends lockdown; 10 held in Kolkata

. The Kerala government on Wednesday decided to issue an ordinance empowering it to deduct salaries of its employees to mobilise funds to fight COVID-19 in the state.

. The spread of COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu is "largely under control" due to the implementation of various government guidelines, but the contagion is "easily" spreading in this city due to its large population, cm, K Palaniswami said.

. Nine new cases of Coronavirus have been confirmed in Karnataka, taking the total number of infections in the state to 532, the health department said.

. Ten persons were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly assaulting policemen enforcing lockdown in the Coronavirus red zone of Howrah district last evening. According to a senior official of the Howrah police commissionerate, a total of 10 persons have been arrested and three cases under different sections of the IPC and other penal laws have been lodged against the accused.

. Punjab CM, Captain Amarinder Singh has announced to extend the curfew for two more weeks to check the spread of Coronavirus in the state.

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A 45-day-old baby boy, said to be India's youngest Covid-19, patient has recovered from the disease and was discharged from a hospital here on Wednesday. Officials clarified that the infant was just 20-day-old when he contracted the infection from his father and was admitted to state-run Gandhi hospital here. After undergoing treatment for 25 days, the baby boy from Mahabubnagar district was discharged on Wednesday. "He is probably the youngest person in the country to have contacted the infection and recovered successfully," the health department said.

Carrying the baby in her arms, the mother was seen walking out of the hospital with a smile. The hospital staff gave warm send-off to the youngest Covid-19 patient and 12 other children who were also discharged with him. The 13 children were among 32 patients discharged in Telangana on Wednesday while the state recorded only seven new cases.

Health Minister Eatala Rajender expressed happiness over the recovery of the youngest patient and other children. He congratulated the doctors, nursing staff and paramedics of the hospital. This was the third straight day in a row that Telangana reported new cases in single digit. With this the total number of cases rose to 1,016.

The number of recoveries has also moved up to 409. The fatalities stand at 25. A total of 582 persons are currently undergoing treatment. Rajender said 10 of the patients at Gandhi Hospital were undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). One of them is on a ventilator while four are on oxygen.

The minister said while the mortality rate in the country is 3.2, the same in Telangana stands at 2.5.

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A case has been registered against a man for allegedly uploading a "derogatory" post against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, a police official said on Wednesday. The accused has been identified as Pushparaj Meshram, a resident of Kamptee, the official said.

"He had uploaded a derogatory post about these political leaders on Facebook. Based on a complaint, a case was registered against Meshram under IPC sections 505 (2), 500 (defamation), 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy)," inspector Narendra Hiwre of Lakadganj police station said.

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India's COVID-19 tally has reached 33,050, including 1,074 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday. 1,718 more coronavirus cases were reported and 67 people succumbed to the virus in the last 24 hours. Currently, there are 23,651 active cases while 8,324 COVID-19 positive patients have been cured/discharged.

Maharashtra has the highest number of cases with 9,915, followed by Gujarat with 4,082 cases and Delhi with 3,439 cases.

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A 28-year-old woman, infected with COVID-19, has given birth to a baby girl on Wednesday at Nagpur's Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH). The infant will be screened for the virus after three days. "A woman who tested positive for COVID-19 in IGGMCH has given birth to a baby girl. The baby's corona test will be conducted after three days," said Dr Sagar Pandey, Deputy Superintendent, IGGMCH Nagpur while speaking to media.

Recently, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) had launched a mobile dispensary to screen pregnant women for COVID-19 in containment zones.

"We have already screened tuberculosis patients. Now, health workers are screening pregnant women," Nagpur Municipal Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe had said.

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The number of coronavirus cases in Nashik district of Maharashtra has gone up to 276 as 71 more people have tested positive for the disease, an official from the district administration said on Thursday. Most of the new cases are from the district's Malegaon town, he said. The new patients include six police personnel and three children - aged three months, 5 years and 11 years.

Out of the total 276 cases, 253 have been reported from Malegaon, 10 from Nashik city, 11 from other parts of the district and two patients are from outside the district who are undergoing treatment in hospitals here.

There was no change in the death toll which stood at 12, the official said. Till date, 11 people have recovered from the disease in the district and discharged from hospitals, he added.

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As many as 1,718 COVID-19 cases were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 33,050 in the country, said the government on Thursday. The total cases are inclusive of 23,651 active cases and 8,324 cured/discharged/migrated ones, said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, while addressing media persons here.

1823 new cases and 67 deaths reported in the last 24 hours
The total number of COVID19 positive cases in India rises to 33610 including 24162 active cases, 8373 cured, discharged, migrated and 1075 deaths: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare pic.twitter.com/G0RbjT1ONT

— ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2020

Agarwal said: "A total of 1,718 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 33,050." A total of 630 patients have been recovered in the last 24 hours.

As far as testing and treatment protocol is concerned we have to use RTP-CR test only, Agarwal said.

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With 1,993 more COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's tally of coronavirus cases stands at 35,043 on Friday, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The total tally is inclusive of 25,007 active cases, 8,888 patients cured/discharged and one patient migrated. With 73 more deaths in the last 24 hours, the total number of deaths due to the coronavirus rises 1,147.

According to the ministry, Maharashtra has the most COVID-19 cases with 10498 cases including 1773 patients cured/discharged and 459 patients dead. Gujarat is second on the list with 4,395 cases that include 613 patients cured and 214 patients succumbing to the deadly virus. Delhi's tally of positive coronavirus cases stands at 3,515 cases of which 1,094 patients have been cured while the death toll stands at 59.

Goa (seven cases), Tripura (two cases), Arunachal Pradesh (one case) and Manipur (two cases), all patients who were infected by the virus in these states have been cured and no new case has been reported.

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The current doubling rate for COVID-19 cases has improved to 11 days as against 3.4 days before the lockdown was imposed, while the case fatality has been recorded at 3.2 per cent, the health ministry said. Addressing a press briefing, health ministry Joint Secretary, Lav Agarwal said the doubling rate of COVID-19 cases was found to be between 11-20 days in Delhi, UP, Jammu and Kashmir, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Punjab.

Doubling rate between 20-40 days has been seen in Karnataka, Ladakh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Kerala, he added. In the last 24 hours, 1,718 new cases of COVID-19 were reported, taking the total number to 33,050 in India, he said.

Agarwal further said that the current case fatality rate is 3.2 per cent for COVID-19 in the country, with 65 per cent of it males and 35 per cent females.

No way to withdraw the lockdown: Tripura CM

Dilip Ghosh, Bengal BJP chief

'I was dumbstruck on hearing the CM say that she was not involved in the formation of the death audit committee. The CM says she even doesn't know who all are in the panel. Then who is running the govt? It must be a ghost. Otherwise, she wouldn't have made such a remark'

Biplab Kumar Deb, Tripura chief minister

'We do not find any way to withdraw the lockdown as it is the only viable means to break the chain of the Coronavirus outbreak. It seems we have to continue with the lockdown andwe have to withdraw some restrictions in a phased manner'

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A special non-stop train with 1,200 stranded migrants started from Telangana to Jharkhand's Hatia, officials said on Friday. According to the railway officials, a special non-stop train operated as a one-off service on Friday morning from Telangana to Hatia in Jharkhand. Railway sources said the train carrying 1,200 migrant workers from Telangana left from Lingampalli station at 5 a.m.

Speaking to IANS, Railway Protection Force (RPF) Director General Arun Kumar said, "A non stop train from Telangana to Jharkhand started this morning with 1,200 migrants." He said the train will reach Hatia around 11 p.m. on Friday. According to officials in Jharkhand, the state government has made adequate arrangements for the testing and quarantine of the migrants returning to the state from the special non-stop train.

A one-off special train was run today from Lingampalli (Hyderabad) to Hatia (Jharkhand) on request of the Telangana Government & as per the directions of Union Railway Ministry. pic.twitter.com/9YptotxcbV

— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2020

The railways have suspended the passenger, mail and express train services in a bid to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Last month, hundreds of migrants reached Bandra terminus railway station in Mumbai after rumour was spread that train services were resumed.

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With 2,293 new cases in the last 24 hours, the highest number of cases in a single day, India's COVID-19 tally reached 37,336 on Saturday, including 1,218 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. As many as 71 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. Out of the total number, 9,951 people have been cured/discharged/migrated.

In the state of Maharashtra, the number of coronavirus positive cases has crossed the 10,000-mark with at least 485 deaths. The positive cases in Maharashtra has reached 11,506, including 1,879 discharged cases. After Maharashtra, Gujarat has the most number of COVID-19 cases (4,721). The state has reported 236 deaths, while 735 people have been discharged.

The Centre on Friday extended the ongoing nationwide lockdown for two more weeks with effect from May 4 till May 17 while allowing different sets of relaxations in red, orange and green zones.

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A 68-year-old COVID-19 patient died in Pune on Saturday, taking the total toll to 100 in the district, a health official said. The cause of the patient's death is acute respiratory failure due to ARDS with myocarditis with coronavirus infection.

"A 68-year-old patient who had tested positive for COVID-19 passes away in Pune. The cause of death is acute respiratory failure due to ARDS with myocarditis with COVID-19 infection. Total death toll in Pune district is now 100," an official said.

According to the Union Health Ministry, the total number of COVID-19 cases across the country surged to 37,336, including 26,167 active cases, 9,951 cured/discharged/migrated and 1,218 deaths.

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