As the 21-day lockdown ends on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing the nation tomorrow at 10 am. Will the lockdown be extended? Mr. Modi is likely to answer this on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu joined the list of states to extend the lockdown.
The Hindu has brought out a multi-language e-book on essential COVID-19 information, in addition to covering the developments related to the coronavirus pandemic as it unfolded.
Here are answers from experts on your queries about the virus, a list of State Helpline numbers, a State-wise tracker for COVID-19 cases, deaths and testing, and a map of confirmed cases in India.
Here are the latest updates:
4.40 pm | New Delhi
On remdesivir anti-viral drug
ICMR spokesperson on remdesivir anti-viral drug: “It was used during the Ebola outbreak. The study in different parts of the world is observational, indicating that two out of three patients, who would have required ventillator support or oxygen support, did not require them after its use.”
This drug is not available with us, he says and adds the World Health Organisation is doing trials. “When the result comes, we will make further plans accordingly, he adds.
4.25 pm | New Delhi
About Rs.28,256 crore spent so far on welfare activities, including cash transfers to women JanDhan account holders, widows, senior citizens and the differently-abled, a government spokesperson says.
About 30 crore people have benefited under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojna till April 10, he says.
NCC cadets, Civil Defence and over 50,000 volunteers have come forward to help the administration.
A health ministry official says core group has been formed in ICMR to focus on digital/molecular surveillance, rapid and economical dignostics, new drugs and repurposing of drugs, apart from associated production facilities, in close co-ordination with the public and private sector and relevant ministries.
4.20 pm | New Delhi
The ICMR spokesperson says over two lakh tests done so far.
The stock is available for testing in the coming six more weeks, he adds.
15 districts have not reported any deaths in the past 15 days. Testing kits from China to arrive on April 15, he adds.
4.10 pm | Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu extends lockdown till April 30
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Monday evening announced extension of the COVID-19 lockdown till April 30. The ongoing lockdown was scheduled to end at 6 am on April 15.
The CM also announced that the ration entitlements for the month of May would be issued free of cost to ‘rice card holders’. This include 1 kg of sugar, 1 kg of tur dhal, 1 kg of cooking oil, besides the usual allotment of rice. – Dennis S. Jesudasan
4.00 pm | New Delhi
Inter- and intra-State goods movements allowed
Home Ministry spokesperson says inter- or intra-State movement of carriers of essential and non-essential goods are allowed with a driver and an additional person.
Local authorities have to facilitate the mobility of the drivers and the helpers, and others involved in the entire chain of supplies, the spokesperson says in the daily press briefing.
Warehouses and coldstorages should be allowed, irrespective of the category of goods,except those in the hotspots and containment areas, he adds.
3.15 pm | New Delhi
Foreigners whose visas have expired as they are stuck here due to COVID-19 lockdown extended till April 30 on Gratis (free) basis.
Foreigners asked to apply online to avail the visa extension facility, says MHA.
3.00 pm | Haryana
Haryana COVID positive cases rise to 182
Coronavirus cases in Haryana rose to 182 on Monday, with a fresh case reported from Sirsa district.
Out of the total positive cases, the number of active cases in the state is 146, the state health department’s daily bulletin said, adding 34 patients have been discharged.
The state has recorded two COVID-19 related deaths. – PTI
2.25 pm | New Delhi
PM Modi to address the nation on April 14 at 10 am
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on Tuesday at 10 am, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
The 21-day nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus ends on Tuesday and the prime minister is likely to talk about its possible extension.
2.00 pm | Bihar
With one more COVID-19 positive case detected in Begusarai district, the total number of COVID-19 pandemic positive cases in Bihar has gone up to 65, said state health minister Mangal Pandey.
Mr Pandey also said that the government has decided to start door to door screening in hotspots of three kms radius in each of four districts of Siwan, Begusarai, Nawada and Nalanda from where number of pandemic disease have regularly been coming.
1.45 pm | Delhi
Max Hospital Saket doctor among three to test positive
Three staff members, including one doctor, of Max Hospital Saket have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last two days, a spokesperson for the hospital said.
On Thursday, two people admitted at Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital Saket had tested positive for the virus. – Nikhil M. Babu
1.15 pm | Maharashtra
Maharashtra extends lockdown till April 30
Maharashtra has joined Punjab and Odisha in extending the lockdown. “The State Government hereby directs the lock-down orders issued vide notification dated 25th March 2020 shall now be extended upto and inclusive of 30th April 2020,” the CMO handle has tweeted.
1.10 pm | Karnataka
15 new cases in Karnataka
Fifteen new positive cases have been detected since Sunday evening in Karnataka taking the total cases to 247.
The new cases include three each from Mandya and Belagavi, four from Hubballi- Dharwad, two from Bidar and one each from Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural and Bangalore.
Except for one case of a 62-year-old male from Bengaluru Urban, all other cases have contact history. – Afshan Yasmeen
12.40 pm | Odisha
13 COVID-19 patients recover so far in Odisha
One more person, who was afflicted with COVID-19 in Odisha, has recovered on Monday, taking the total number of patients cured of the disease to 13 in the state, health department officials said.
Odisha has so far reported 54 coronavirus cases while a 72-year-old patient from the state capital died of the disease. – PTI
12.15 pm | New Delhi
Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora flanked by Election Commissioners Ashok Lavasa (L) and Sushil Chandra.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and Election Commissioners Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra to voluntarily take 30% cut in basic salary for one year to contribute funds for fighting COVID-19. – Damini Nath
12.10 pm | Maharashtra
Fifth death from Dharavi
Dharavi reported four new cases, including a death on Monday.
A 60 year-old man living in Nehru chawl was declared dead at Sion Hospital, making him the fifth fatality from Asia’s biggest slum.
Besides, three other new cases were reported, one each from Indira Nagar, Janata society and Gulmohur chawl.
The patient from Gulmohur chawl is a 34 year-old nurse from Sushrusha Hospital that has been sealed after eight of their staff tested positive.
Janata society has seen five cases so far. This brings the total cases from Dharavi to 47 including five deaths.
The State has reported 2064 cases so far, including 82 fresh ones. – Tanvi Deshpande
12.00 noon | Tamil Nadu
19 items for Rs. 500 in Tamil Nadu
Provisions for the ration card holders getting packed at a TUCS outlet in Chennai.
| Photo Credit: S. R. Raghunathan
Tamil Nadu government is selling grocery kits for Rs. 500 through its ration shops. The kit comprises of 19 items including tur dal, urad dal (half kg each), 250 each grams of bengal gram and garlic, 100 grams of pepper, cumin, mustard, fenugreek, turmeric powder, and chilli powder. State-owned branded tea powder is also being provided along with one kg salt. In addition to this, 200 grams of sunflower oil, 50 grams fennel seeds and 10 grams of cinnamon is also provided.
11.50 am | Andhra Pradesh
12 new coronavirus cases reported in AP
The COVID-19 cases continued their upward trend in Andhra Pradesh, adding 12 since Sunday night and taking the overall tally to 432.
Guntur district has now taken the top spot in the state with 90 cases, with the addition of eight since Sunday night, according to the latest bulletin issued by the Health Department on Monday. – PTI
11.40 am | Nagaland
First case reported from Nagaland
The first case of COVID-19 in Nagaland came to light around midnight on April 12.
Assam Health Minister Himanta Bishwa Sarma confirmed that one person from Nagaland was found with symptoms of COVID-19. He was referred to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital. He has been tested “positive and is undergoing treatment”. – Iboyaima Laithangbam
11.30 am | USA
New York City now has more COVID19 cases than China, UK
New York City, the epicenter of the COVID19 pandemic in the U.S., now alone has over 1,00,000 novel coronavirus cases, more than the confirmed cases in China and the UK, according to the official data.
According to the data from the New York City government, an increase of at least 5,695 cases on Sunday put New York City’s total number of coronavirus infections at over 1,04,410 as of April 12 and 27,676 hospitalisations. The city’s death toll is 6,898.
According to estimates by Johns Hopkins University, there are 85,208 coronavirus cases in the UK, 83,135 in China and 71,686 in Iran.
11 am | Gujarat
Gujarat records 26 new cases
One person died in Gujarat due to COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 26. The State recorded 26 new cases of coronavirus infection.
This brings the total number of cases in the State to 538, according ti the State Health department. So far, 47 patients have recovered from the infection, it added.
10.40 am | India
According to the latest Health Ministry update, the number of COVID-19 cases in India have gone up to to 9,152. As many as 308 people have died due to the infection, the Ministry said.
The number of people have who have recovered is 856. India currently has 7987 active cases, the Ministry update added.
However, data from the State authorities puts the total number of cases at 9,205 and the number of active cases at 7,880. The death toll is 332, according to State data.
10.20 am | India
Pharma units in limbo amid confusion over hydroxychloroquine exports
A week after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that it would “license” the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and supply it to various countries on a “government to government basis”, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) maintains that the drug is still prohibited for export, causing some confusion in industry circles.
On Sunday, the government said it had cleared the release of HCQ for 13 countries.
9.50 am | Italy
Italy reports lowest COVID-19 death toll in over three weeks
Italy on Sunday reported its lowest coronavirus death toll in more than three weeks, confirming trends showing that the COVID-19 outbreak in Europe’s worst-hit nation had peaked.
The 431 new deaths reported by the civil protection service were the lowest since March 19. Italy’s death total now stands at 19,899, officially second behind the United States.
9.30 am | Singapore
59 Indians among 233 new cases in Singapore
Fifty-nine Indians working in Singapore are among the 233 new coronavirus cases reported on Sunday, taking the total number of COVID-19 patients in the city-state to 2,532.
Of the new cases, 51 are linked to known clusters while 15 to earlier cases. The remaining 167 have no links to earlier cases, pending contact tracing, the Health Ministry said in its daily update.
9 am | Delhi
In a single day, Delhi records 5 deaths, 85 new COVID-19 cases
The Capital on Sunday recorded five deaths and 85 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of deaths to 24 and the cumulative cases to 1,154, the government said.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the rise in the number of cases here over the past few days was a worrying trend and the government would be launching a “massive” sanitation drive from April 13 across the city’s red and orange zones. The government has declared containment zones as red zones and the high-risk zones as orange zones.
8.30 am | China
China’s new cases rise to near 6-week high
China reported the highest number of new daily coronavirus cases in nearly six weeks, driven by a rise in infected travellers arriving from overseas and underscoring challenges Beijing faces in preventing a second wave of COVID-19.
A total of 108 new coronavirus cases were reported on Sunday, up from 99 a day earlier and marking the highest number of cases since 143 cases were reported in March 6.
The total number of confirmed cases in mainland China now stands at 82,160, while the death toll rose by two to 3,341.