More such flights are also being readied by the authorities to facilitate other Indians as part of the Operation Vande Bharat - A homecoming', India's massive repatriation operation to bring home its citizens stranded abroad.

Between the first case and the day the market closed on May 4, officials held several talks with sellers about shifting operations. The back and forth proved costly.

The migrant family was headed to Chhattisgarh on a bicycle after they reportedly ran out of resources during the ongoing lockdown necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic.

State Bank of India has closed down a section of the Local Head Office (LHO) here after an employee tested positive for COVID-19, a senior official said on Friday.

Police quoted the migrants as saying that they were stuck in the city without jobs, money and adequate food and that they were even willing to walk to their home states if the special trains were not operated immediately.

Social stigma and low testing are the key reasons for the high mortality rate among COVID-19 patients in West Bengal, where the disease, like elsewhere in the country, is still an urban phenomenon, experts say.

The flight was part of the Vande Bharat mission which started on Thursday to bring back stranded Indian nationals home amid the novel coronavirus-induced lockdown.

The Forum has written a letter to Chief Secretary Rajiv Sinha, who assured that the government will do whatever is needed for the safety and security of the doctors and health care workers in Bengal.

My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families. Wishing speedy recovery to the injured, the president said on Twitter.

After inaugurating the road through video-conferencing, Rajnath Singh said pilgrims going to Kailash Mansarovar will now be able to complete their journey in one week instead of up to three weeks.

At least 22 migrant labourers, who had returned from Andhra Pradesh, escaped from a COVID-19 quarantine centre in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, police said on Friday.

Overall, the national mortality rate was 3.34 as on Friday morning and the recovery rate stood at 29.35 per cent. India has confirmed 56,342 confirmed Covid-19 cases so far.

The accident left 16 migrant workers dead and one injured while three others survived. All of them were working in a steel manufacturing in Jalna.

The plea was mentioned for an urgent hearing and it has been allowed to be listed on May 12, Zafarul Islam Khan's advocate Vrinda Grover said.

The apex court disposed of the plea challenging the guidelines issued by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on May 1, allowing sales of liquor through direct contact sales during the lockdown period.

Between April 23 and May 2, at least 17 employees tested positive for the COVID-19 virus at the CATS control room. In the last one week, 29 more tested positive.

The petition, filed by Madurai resident KK Ramesh, has alleged that Covid-19 has been "deliberately created by China as biological weapon against India".

Several state governments have eased labour laws to attract more investment and jump-start the cycle of demand after days of lockdown that has hit the economy badly.

Gautam Buddh Nagar recorded 202 positive cases of coronavirus till Thursday evening, and official figures for Friday were awaited.

Districts with high population and heavy inter-state movement of people will be selected for the study to represent the respective state, sources said.

The crowding of workers at the railway station is learnt to be prompted by a social media post which went viral giving false information that free special trains have been arranged for workers, sources said.

The government also said that Air India will operate 64 flights from May 7 to May 13 to bring back around 15,000 Indian nationals stranded abroad due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

On learning about the sudden rush of people at the deputy collector's office near Gota bridge, police officials immediately reached the spot and persuaded the migrants, mostly from UP and Bihar, to disperse.

The petition contended that while the police force is, by and large, discharging its duties in an exemplary manner, there are several instances which would be a 'blot' on the police machinery.

Justice Gupta, who retired on Wednesday after spending three years on the Green Bench of the top court, said “there was lack of will” by the government to do what it takes for cleaner air and clearer water.

The ministry asserted that if dos and don'ts are followed, the peak in number of COVID-19 cases can be avoided.

The group arrived in Mumbai later, but allegedly did not inform the authorities about their participation in the event and thus avoided quarantine.

The Commission of Railway Safety said that all-out efforts must be made to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future.

Nearly a month's supply of pulses has already been dispatched to several states and union territories, but they have managed to distribute only 53,617 tonnes to ration card holders under the Public Distribution System (PDS), he said.

Minister Meena Singh and some officials have been rushed to Aurangabad by a special plane to facilitate treatment of the survivors. CM Chouhan said the deceased, who hailed from MP's Shahdol, would be cremated near the accident site.

The company also said that all necessary measures were being used to keep the temperatures under control. Styrene gas had leaked from a tank at the plant.

The high court, in its interim order passed on Thursday, had suggested the state should ensure that only those who have tested negative for COVID-19 are allowed to return.

Venugopal said through judicial activism the "Supreme Court has done a tremendous amount of good. It has practically tried to wipe away every tears of the underprivileged, disadvantaged and illiterate sections of society.

Officers have been directed to submit a detailed report within four weeks with details of the steps taken by the district authorities to provide food and shelter to poor people, especially migrants, during the lockdown.

As six patients passed away at the Gokuldas Hospital one after the other on Thursday, panicked kin of the deceased uploaded a video on social media accusing the hospital of gross negligence.

While the administration is running a shelter camp for migrant labourers, the victims were living on the premises of the factory where worked, he added.

However, this year the celebrations are understandably muted due to the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for the petitioners, told the bench that pregnancy of these medical professionals is at an advance stage and they need a further priority in the priority already given to pregnant women.

Federal prosecutors allege the suspect, identified as 54-year-old Balvir, has been working with the Indian foreign intelligence agency Research & Analysis Wing since 2015.

The move follows similar decisions taken by Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh governments to revive the economy that has been badly hit due to the ongoing coronavirus-induced lockdown.

Under the initiative, eligible beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) would be able to avail their entitled foodgrains from any Fair Price Shop in the country using the same ration card.

While the opposition Congress claimed that accused Rajesh Verma is a BJP worker, the ruling party denied it.

Thirty-three CISF personnel deployed at the gallery's security unit have been asked to self-quarantine, Indian Museum director A D Choudhury told PTI.

An activist has moved the top court pointing out alleged racial attacks on people of North-Eastern like spitting on them, evictions from their homes and termination from their jobs among others.

One of the accused, identified as Muntyaz, carried a reward of Rs 15,000 for information leading to his arrest, police said.

A total of 64 flights carrying approximately 15,000 returnees from 12 countries are expected to land at 14 airports across India from May 7 to 15 as part of phase one of the mission, they said.

State government's COVID-19 spokesman Subroto Bagchi said institutional quarantine period would now be of 21 days and home quarantine for another seven days.

The Railways also warned people that although regular passenger trains were not in operation, the migrant special trains, parcel and freight trains were running on the rail network.

With the death of as many as 22 patients, the number of persons who died due to the infection rose to 343, the official said.

An Indian Navy spokesman said there were a number of pregnant women and children among the evacuees who will travel to Kochi in Kerala.