#Prime-hospital-covid-tele-services

[primehealthdubai]

Nationals & residents of the UAE can now access medical consultation via phones though the new PRIME Telehealth platform licensed by the Dubai Health Authority. The service is currently to existing patients of PRIME, they need to book an appointment for PRIME Telehealth service by calling 047070777. Their own doctor will use a telehealth platform to communicate with them while

https://sites.google.com/view/primehospitalcovidteleservice

Address : No. 203, Shk. Saud Building, Opposite Al Reef Mall, Deira - Dubai - United Arab Emirates

Phone no : 971-4-7070999 / 971 4 2929777

Email id : helpdesk@primehealth.ae / info@primehospital.ae

Fax : 971 4 2721549

Connect with us: https://www.facebook.com/PrimeHospitalinDubai https://twitter.com/PrimehospitalG https://www.linkedin.com/company/prime-healthcare-group-llc/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyYTm2LQ0ugflZ0PbVL-7-g https://www.instagram.com/primehospital/ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ae.primehealth&hl=en

[thefirstindia]

5 Year of Digital India and PM Modi "Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan"

On the completion of 5 years of India's "Digital India" program, the Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology has said that the digital journey has focused on empowerment, inclusion and digital transformation and its positive impact can be felt in all aspects of the lives of Indian citizens.

key points:

1)  On this occasion, the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, while describing the achievements of JAM Trinity- Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile, said that in the COVID-19 pandemic also, due to the Digital India program, people can work from home; Making digital payments; Students get education from TV, mobile, laptop; Patients are able to take tele-counseling and farmers in remote areas of India can directly avail the benefits of PM-KISAN scheme in their bank accounts.

2) Digital India program led to Aadhaar, Direct Benefit Transfer, Common Service Center, DigiLocker, Mobile Based Umang (UMANG) Services, Participation in Governance through MyGov, Ayushman Bharat, E-Hospital, PM-Kisan, E-Naam, Soil Health Card , SWAYAM, SWAYAM PRABHA, through National Scholarship Portal, e-Pathshala, etc. have positively affected all aspects of the lives of Indian citizens.

3) The National AI Portal and the Responsible AI for Youth were recently launched to lay the foundation for an AI-driven future.

4) The Digital India program has also played an important role during COVID-19 status such as Arogya Setu, e-Sanjeevani, sanitization and English NewsPaper social media platforms through MyGov etc.

PM Modi's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan', according to his party's original concept, is an ambitious project aimed not at fighting the ill effects of the Covid-19 epidemic, but rebuilding India of the future.PM has spoken about optimum use of technology. His government has taken some right steps which include adopting state-of-the-art technology and increasing the use of digital technology in the society. It can prove to be the driver of the economy.

Role of Digital India program during COVID-19 epidemic:

Arogya Setu has been developed in 3 weeks with 12 Indian languages under Digital India program during COVID-19 status which has so far been downloaded by nearly 13 crore people. This app has identified more than 350 COVID-19 hotspots.

The MyGov website and social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin have played an important role in making citizens aware of the medium of graphics, videos, quotes for social media to deal with COVID-19.

It is noteworthy that the Government of India is promoting digital literacy at the rural and urban levels to promote the Digital India program so that it can move rapidly from 'traditional economy' to 'digital economy'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched self-reliant India Innovation Challenge, taking further steps towards Digital and Self-Reliant India.The NITI Aayog, in partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Atal Innovation Mission, has launched the Digital India Self-Reliant India Innovation Challenge, under which you will have to create mobile games, social media LATEST NEWS and photo-video editing apps . Under this challenge a maximum reward of up to Rs 20 lakh will be available. The mantra for this challenge is 'Make in India for India and the World'.

Here are diffrent categories:-Office Productivity and Work from Home

social networking

E-learning

Entertainment

Health and wellness

Agritech and Fintech

News

GamesSub-categories of Self-reliant India Innovation Challenge

A facial recognition / body mapping app that allows people to virtually try on matching clothes and eyeglass frames before purchasing.

Real-time speech-to-speech translation and camera translation app

Mobile App for Cloud Email

Image scan, image editing and text recognition app

Apps that facilitate cloud storage that also have the facility to transfer files

Anti-virus app for mobile device

Mobile device cache clearing app

Mobile app for video conferencing

Apps for messaging and video calling

App for micro blogging

News app equipped with machine learning

Mapping app

Mobile based online gaming platform

Photo editing app equipped with all facilities

Being "Digital-India" or "Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan" or "Self-reliant India Campaign" is, in the real sense of the term, the recognition and promotion of the intrinsic strength of Indian entrepreneurship waiting to be freed from the shackles of inextricable tangles of land, labour, liquidity and laws as PM Modi pointed out. Swadeshi should be reinterpreted as a bridge between robust localisation and inevitable globalisation, complementary to one another and not diametrically opposed.

click here:- INDIA NEWS

[moorthimany]

Controlling the Coronavirus Pandemic Using TeleHealth

The COVID 19 outbreak has brought a large part of the world to a standstill, forcing people to find remote ways of performing their daily tasks. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was said to be “tele-governing” the country in quarantine after his wife tested positive for the virus. 

As remote working is adopted on a large scale and workplaces open work from home alternatives in an unprecedented way, remote healthcare is another area whose use is surging. World over, healthcare systems have reported an increase in patients opting for the telehealth route to access physician consultations. 

Healthcare organizations are expanding the use of telehealth to safely screen and treat patients for coronavirus, and in doing so are trying to contain the spread of infection. In the US, many AI-based telehealth services providers have reported a significant jump in the volume of virtual visits ever since the coronavirus scare caught the country. In his bid to promote the use of telehealth, 

US President Donald Trump announced that his administration is waiving some federal rules to make it easier for more doctors to provide care remotely using video chats and other services.

Mainstreaming telehealth to tackle a public health crisis

Globally, as healthcare systems stand overburdened and overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the pandemic, conventional healthcare is finding it impossible to address the disaster. With hospital beds and ICUs grossly insufficient, doctors in severely-hit countries are having to choose which patient to treat and which to ‘let die’ based on the chances of their survival. In India, where healthcare systems are already overburdened, a large outbreak will spell further disaster. 

It is important therefore to act timely to leverage the use of alternative processes like telehealth and turn them from stop-gap arrangements to the mainstream interventions. 

The COVID 19 pandemic will go down in history as a turning point in the journey of telehealth, given the fact that it is the first time that the use of telehealth is being co-opted on a large scale to address a public health crisis. Telehealth will act as a major cog in the wheel of effective coronavirus management and containment.

Treating home quarantined patients and containing the spread

From testing to treating to isolating, our healthcare resources are scarce for every part of the treatment process for COVID 19. All people with symptoms can neither be tested immediately, not all of them can be admitted to hospitals. Similarly, administered quarantine facilities will also turn grossly insufficient once cases spiral to stage II. 

Therefore, keeping as many sick people as possible out of hospitals is a major component of managing the coronavirus. Across the world, most infected people with mild to moderate symptoms have been asked to self-quarantine themselves at home while hospitals are taking in only the seriously ill patients needing artificial respiratory support. This is where telehealth services will have to be leveraged in a major way in monitoring and advising such people.

The governments in partnership with private players must actively endorse and advertise telehealth helplines and encourage people to seek consultations through the remote mechanism. If every individual with a fever or a cough rushes to a hospital or clinic, it may wreak havoc on the healthcare system. Moreover, a number of these patients may be suffering from just the seasonal flu. 

Taking the telehealth route will help in filtering and shortlisting the most serious patients who need hospitalization. Doctors can check the symptoms in patients through teleconferencing and advise them about medication; precautions, as well as tests, required and refer them to a healthcare facility in case their symptoms aggravate. Arrangements must also be made for pathologists to be able to collect samples from home.

Addressing other health issues remotely

At a time when all healthcare resources have been consumed in addressing the coronavirus threat, a large number of patients with other health conditions, be it chronic diseases or acute conditions requiring medical help are at loss. Not only is their lack of resources to address their needs, but they also face the risk of contracting the dreaded infection while travelling to clinics and hospitals. 

Telehealth is a safe and effective route for this group of patients as well. Telehealth providers and hospitals must make specialists in different domains available to patients through telehealth services. This will ensure that patients with other health conditions requiring medical support are not ignored. 

Authored by Mr. Vikram Thaploo, CEO, Apollo TeleHealth

[brajeshupadhyay]

Coronavirus Outbreak Highlights: Shops for educational books, electric fans, movement of Indian seafarers allowed during lockdown, says MHA

00:11 (IST)

Coronavirus in Pakistan Latest Updates

Imran Khan to take coronavirus test 

  Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan will take the coronavirus test as a philanthropist he met last week tested positive for the disease, reported the Times of India. Faisal Edih, chairman of the Karachi-based Edhi Foundation and son of the the late Abdul Sattar Edhi, met the prime minister last week to donate to the PM's Relief Fund. He tested positive on Tuesday.  Faisal Sultan, the prime minister's personal physician and COVID-19 advisor, told media that would the leader to be tested. "We will follow all protocols in place and make recommendations accordingly," reports quote him as saying.

23:56 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

 4,62,621 samples tested so far, says ICMR

According to the 9pm update issued by ICMR, a total of 4,62,621 samples from 4,47,812 have been tested till date, while  26, 943 samples were reported on Tuesday. However, the number of individuals who have tested posted was not mentioned in the update.

23:47 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Markaaz chief asks Jamaat workers to donate plasma blood

Tablighi Jamaat chief Mohammad Saad  has written a letter to Jamaat workers and all Muslims who have been cured of COVID19, appealing to them  to donate blood plasma for those still infected and under treatment.

  Tablighi Jamaat Chief Mohammad Saad appeals to Jamaat's workers and all Muslims who have been cured of COVID19 to donate blood plasma for those still infected and under treatment. pic.twitter.com/ztuvcNGbOY

— ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020

23:39 (IST)

Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates

Twelve more test positive in Jammu and Kashmir, total reaches 380

  A dozen more coronavirus cases surfaced in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, taking the total in the Union territory to 380, PTI quotes an official bulletin as saying..  Eleven of the fresh cases were reported in Kashmir and one in Jammu's Kathua, it said. The UT has recorded five fatalities due to the disease so far, four in Kashmir and one in Udhampur district of Jammu, while 81 patients have recovered, the bulletin stated.  It added that 10 COVID-19 patients were discharged during the day. 

23:36 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Woman cop at Uddhav Thackeray's official residence tests positive

A woman police constable posted at `Varsha', the official residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister, tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday, PTI quotes a senior official as saying. Also, a male constable at the official residence of Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis has tested positive, according to a civic official.

The Varsha bungalow in south Mumbai is currently unoccupied as Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray lives in his family residence in suburban Bandra.

  23:27 (IST)

Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates

IMA, seven other medical organisations write to Mamata Banerjee

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) and seven other medical organisations have collectively written to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, stating that the state's real-time and transparent data of Covid-19, including daily medical bulletins of all healthcare workers under treatment is highly solicited.

Indian Medical Association (IMA) & 7 other medical organizations have collectively written to West Bengal CM. Letter states, "Real-time, transparent data of #COVID19 in our state, including daily medical bulletins of all healthcare workers under treatment is highly solicited". pic.twitter.com/hTeRNmFz2U

— ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020

23:19 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra  Latest Updates

Case count rises to 108 in Nashik

The case count in Maharashtra's Nashik district rose to 108 on Tuesday. 10 cases were reported in Nashik city, four in Nashik rural and 94 in Malegaon. 

22:59 (IST)

Coronavirus in UK  Latest Updates

UK toll rises by 828

A total of 17,337 people in hospital with coronavirus have died in Britain, show new health ministry figures, an increase of 828 from the previous day, reports News18. 

  22:52 (IST)

Coronavirus in UK  Latest Updates

Oxford University researchers to begin trial of potential vaccine on Thursday: Report

UK health secretary Matt Hancock announced that Oxford University researchers will begin human trials of a potential vaccine against the coronavirus on Thursday, reported BBC. According to the report, the vaccine uses a small section of the genetic code packaged into a harmless virus. Scientists hope that delivering this into the body will teach the immune system how to fight off the real disease, without ever needing to become infected with coronavirus.The plan is to test it on around 500 volunteers by mid-May and if that work proves successful, give it to thousands more volunteers, said the report.

 The secretary also announced that the government had pledged more than £40m to two British projects searching for a vaccine - the one by Oxford and the other led by the Imperial College.

22:38 (IST)

Coronavirus in Manipur Latest Updates

Manipur's second COVID-19 patient discharged

The second COVID-19 patient in Manipur was discharged from the Regional Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) on Tuesday as he tested negative in consecutive tests, PTI quotes RIMS director Prof Ahanthem Santa Singh as saying. The patient was advised home quarantine, according to protocol, the RIMS director said .

22:35 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Shops selling school books, electric fans allowed to stay open during lockdown: MHA

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued  an order to include additional agricultural and forestry items, shops of educational books for students, shops of electric fans and movement of Indian seafarers in to the list of permitted activities during the lockdown, which will continue till 3 May.

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issues order to include additional agricultural and forestry items, shops of educational books for students, shops of electric fans and movement of Indian seafarers in lockdown guidelines, gives SoP on sign-on/sign-off for Indian seafarers. pic.twitter.com/NBnQ6BkX34

— ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020

22:30 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

Delhi-Noida border sealed: Gautam Buddh Nagar DM

The Delhi-Noida border has been sealed to prevent further spread of the viral disease, said an order issued by Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate. However, vehicles transporting goods, those ferrying persons who provide emergency services, media persons, government employees and those engaged in providing COVID-19 services will be allowed to ply, according to the order.

Dear residents, As per the medical department advice, in the larger public interest, as a preventive measure to fight Covid 19, we are closing Delhi-GB nagar/Noida border completely, with following specified exceptions. You are kindly requested to cooperate. StayHome StaySafe🙏 pic.twitter.com/es4ap51XVW

— DM G.B. Nagar (@dmgbnagar) April 21, 2020

22:13 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

Three cops at Delhi's Nabi Karim test positive

Three policemen posted at Nabi Karim police station of central district tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, PTI quotes officials as saying.They were on picket duty and the contact tracing is going on, police said.  They have been admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital while their families have been asked to quarantine themselves, a senior police officer said. Till now, 16 policemen in the National Capital have contracted the disease.

22:06 (IST)

Coronavirus in Rajasthan Latest Updates

Cases in Rajasthan rise to 1,735

159  more COVID19 cases were detected in Rajasthan  on Tuesday, taking the total cases in the stateto  1735, said the 9 pm update issued by the state health department. 72 cases were reported from Jaipur alone.

#CoronaVirusUpdates #Rajasthan New #Covid19 positive cases: 76 Total cases in #Rajasthan today : 159#Ajmer 35#Bhilwara 5#Dausa 7#Hanumangarh 5#Jaipur 72#Jodhpur 16#Jaisalmer 2#Jhunjhunu 1#Kota 2#Nagaur 10#Tonk 2#SawaiMadhopur 2 Cumulative positive: 1735 pic.twitter.com/ccY2Jl5J7A

— PIB in Rajasthan (@PIBJaipur) April 21, 2020

22:00 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates

WHO condoles death of staff in Myanmar

Heart broken to share devastating news: @WHO lost a valued colleague, Pyae Sone Win Maun, who was wounded in a security incident in Myanmar, while transporting #COVID19 surveillance samples. Tragic to lose a life while keeping the world safe. My deepest condolences to the family.

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 21, 2020

21:56 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

ICMR issues guidelines for testing strategy for pregnant women

The Indian Council of Medical Research issued guidelines on a testing strategy for pregnant women. According to the guidelines, pregnant women living in containment zones, shelters housing migrant workers who present signs of labour or are likely to deliver in the next five days should be tested even if asymptomatic.

ICMR strategy for #COVID19 testing for pregnant women - "Pregnant women residing in clusters/containment area or in large migration gatherings/evacuees center from hotspot districts presenting in labor or likely to deliver in next 5 days should be tested even if asymptomatic". pic.twitter.com/00TUq6KduK

— ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020

21:41 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Govt to conduct tele-survey on COVID-19 symptoms

Government of India will conduct a telephonic survey to gather feedback from citizens on prevalence and distribution of COVID19 symptoms, reports ANI. This survey is to be carried out by NIC and calls will be coming on mobile phones from calling number 1921.

21:37 (IST)

Coronavirus in Telangana Latest Updates

56 more test positive in Telangana, count reaches 928

56 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Telangana on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 928. This includes 711 active cases, 194 who were cured/discharged  and 23 deaths, according to the latest update provided by the state health department.

56 more #COVID19 cases reported in Telangana today. Total number of cases in the state now at 928, including 711 active cases, 194 cured/discharged & 23 deaths: State Health Department pic.twitter.com/GpCsTr0UbO

— ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020

21:31 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Tested positive, but doing well, says TV9 Bharatvarsh journalist 

A journalist with TV9 Bharatvarsh said that she was among the 53 journalists who had tested positive for COVID-19 in Mumbai yesterday. "Unfortunately I am one of those Mumbai journalist who tested POSITIVE for corona virus but I am doing well as of now. I keep praying, hoping and believing that soon I will win this battle," she posted on Twitter.

21:14 (IST)

Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates

No COVID-19 case reported in Ghaziabad today

India Today reported that no new case of COVID-19 was reported in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad on Tuesday.

21:06 (IST)

Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates

137 new COVID-19 cases reported in Uttar Pradesh today

The Uttar Pradesh government said that with 137 new cases reported on Tuesday, the tally of COVID-19 cases in the state rose to 1,337. The toll stands at 21 in the state.

20:59 (IST)

Coronavirus in Haryana Latest Updates

South Korea company starts production of rapid test kits in Haryana

The Embassy of India in Sourth Korea on Tuesday said that SD Biosensor (a South Korea-based company) started production from its Manesar, Haryana facility with a capacity of 5,00,000 rapid test kits per week. This will be further enhanced in the coming weeks to meet growing demand, the statement said.

20:54 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

MHA specifies activities exempted from lockdown restrictions

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was quoted by ANI as saying, "It is clarified that specific services/activities-caregivers of senior citizens residing with them, prepaid mobile recharge utilities, food processing units in urban areas have already been exempted from lockdown measures to fight COVID-19."

It is clarified that specific services/activities-caregivers of senior citizens residing with them, prepaid mobile recharge utilities, food processing units in urban areas have already been exempted from #lockdown measures to fight #COVID19: Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs pic.twitter.com/s5zpyh5Pzv

— ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020

20:45 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

355 new COVID-19 cases reported in Mumbai today

The MCGM said that 355 new COVID-19 patients, including 219 patients tested positive between 14-18 April and admitted in isolation wards, were reported in Mumbai on Tuesday.

The total number positive patients is now 3,445. Out of 12 deaths on Tuesday, eight had co-morbidities and fiour had age related factors.

20:28 (IST)

Coronavirus in Uttarakhand Latest Updates

No new COVID-19 cases reported in Uttarakhand today

No new COVID-19 case were reported in Uttarakhand on Tuesday, the state government said, adding that the total number of positive cases in the state stands at 46.

20:20 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

75 new COVID-19 cases reported in Delhi today

The Delhi health department said that 75 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the National Capital on Tuesday, taking the total number of positive cases to 2,156.

20:07 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

Delhi containment zones rise to 87

The number of COVID-19 'containment zones' in Delhi were raised to 87 by the Delhi government on Tuesday.

Number of COVID19 'containment zones' in Delhi raised to 87 by Delhi government. pic.twitter.com/AGGx6QNp50

— ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020

20:00 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

552 new cases, 19 deaths reported in Maharashtra today

The Maharashtra government said that 552 new COVID-19 cases and 19 deaths were reported in the state on Tuesday, taking total number of cases to 5,218 and toll to 251 in the state.

With 150 patients discharged from hospitals on Tuesday, the number of cured patients stands at 722.

19:51 (IST)

Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates

274 active COVID-19 cases in Bengal so far

The West Bengal government said that as of Tuesday, there are 274 active COVID-19 cases and 15 deaths due to coronavirus in the state.

19:42 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Maharashtra govt revokes lockdown exemptions in Mumbai, Pune

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday revoked lockdown relaxations and exemptions in Mumbai and Pune regions because '"people are not behaving responsibly", the CMO was quoted as saying. "Rest of the parts of the state to continue to have partial exemptions," the statement added.

19:28 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Fire breaks out at hotel being used as a quarantine centre in Mumbai

The Mumbai fire brigade said that a level-II fire broken out at the Rippon Hotel in Mumbai's Nagpada area on Tuesday. The fire fighting operation on. The fire has been confined in the hotel's lodging room, which was being used as a quarantine centre for COVID-19 patients. Most of the patients rescued, search operation is on, the statement said.

19:22 (IST)

Coronavirus in Punjab Latest Updates

Six new COVID-19 cases reported in Punjab today

The Punjab government said that six people tested positive for COVID19 in the state on Tuesday, of which one was reported in SAS Nagar and five in Patiala. All six cases have contact history with positive patient.

The COVID19 cases rose to 251 in Punjab, including 49 cured and 16 deaths. 62 cases have been reported in SAS Nagar, 48 in Jalandhar and 31 in Patiala.

19:11 (IST)

Coronavirus in Chhattisgarh Latest Updates

Bhupesh Baghel asks Modi for financial aid of Rs 30,000 cr

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to provide financial assistance of Rs 30,000 crore to the state in the next three months for the operation of relief and welfare schemes and relaxation in the economic activities related to revenue generation in the state.

So far, 36 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the state, out of which 25 people have been discharged and the other 11 are under treatment. Around 400 people are being tested every day in the state. No new positive case found in last five days.

19:02 (IST)

Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Updates

COVID-19 patient from first cluster in Kerala still infected, says CM

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said, "In Pathanamthitta, a woman belonging to the first cluster of COVID-19 cases is still positive after 36 days. How the coronavirus behaves cannot be predicted. Even after repeat tests every alternative day, the patient is positive. Her condition is stable."

18:57 (IST)

Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates

76 new COVID-19 cases reported in Tamil Nadu today

The Tamil Nadu government said that 76 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the state on Tuesday, taking total number of positive cases in the state to 1,596.

One death was also reported on Tuesday, taking the total toll in the state to 18.

76 persons tested positive in Tamil Nadu today, taking total number of positive cases in the state to 1,596. One death reported today; the total number of deaths till date stands at 18 now: Health Department, Government of Tamil Nadu pic.twitter.com/z0WW9DjZkM

— ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020

18:39 (IST)

Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates

92 areas designated as red zones in Jammu and Kashmir

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday said that 92 areas have been identified and designated as red zones in the union territory, of which 14 are in Jammu and 78 are in Kashmir. These red zones will be under stricter restrictions on movement, surveillance and will have enhanced testing, the statement said.

18:33 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

2,081 COVID-19 cases reported in Delhi till yesterday

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that 2,081 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the National Capital till Monday night. Of these, 431 have recovered and 47 have lost their lives due to the virus. Currently, there are 1,603 active cases.

18:26 (IST)

Coronavirus in Punjab Latest Updates

Amarinder Singh asks Amit Shah for interim compensation of Rs 3,000 cr

Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding interim compensation of Rs 3,000 crore for the month of April on account of the COVID-19 national disaster, along with immediate release of Rs 4,400 crore of pending GST arrears, reports said.

18:18 (IST)

Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Updates

19 new COVID-19 cases reported in Kerala 

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that 19 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the state on Tuesday. Of these, 10 were reported in Kannur, four in Palakkad, three in Kasargod, one each in Malappuram and Kollam.

He added that 12 people have recent foreign travel history. Total active COVID-19 cases in the state reaches 117.

18:09 (IST)

Coronavirus in Odisha Latest Updates

Odisha health bulletin today:

Total samples tested — 11,748 Number of positive cases — 79 Number of people recovered — 29 Toll — 01 Number active cases — 49

18:02 (IST)

Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates

29 new COVID-19 cases reported in last 24 hours in Bengal

The West Begal chief secretary said that 29 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the state in the last 24 hours. The total toll in the state is at 15.

"Rapid testing has begun in the state. Today 220 rapid tests conducted in Howrah and Kolkata. The results have been sent to the health department," said West Bengal chief secretary Rajiva Sinha

17:56 (IST)

Coronavirus in Karnataka Latest Updates

10 new COVID-19 cases reported in Karnataka

The Karnataka health department said that 10 new coronavirus cases were reported in the state in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases are at 418, including 17 deaths and 129 recoveries

17:44 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Almost 4.5 lakh samples tested for COVID-19 so far, says ICMR

ICMR's R Gangakhedkhar on Tuesday said that 4,49,810 samples have been tested so far. 35,852 samples were tested on Monday, of which 29,776 samples were tested in 201 Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) network labs and remaining 6,076 samples were tested in 86 private labs, he said.

17:39 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates 

COVID-19 cases rise to 18,985 in India

The Union health ministry said that the total number of COVID-19 positive cases rose to 18,985 in India. This includes 15,122 active cases, 3,260 cured/discharged/migrated people and 603 deaths.

17:27 (IST)

Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates

TMC MP slams Centre over IMCTs

TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee slammed the Centre over the IMCTs that have been sent to West Bengal to review lockdown violations in the state.

You cripple GoWB with faulty kits from ICMR & then send IMCTs to monitor GoWB's performance while keeping the State Govt in dark. In the name of combating the COVID-19 crisis, you're playing with the lives of Bengalis while your leaders use skewed testing nos for fake propaganda. https://t.co/4U8p2aT9q6

— Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) April 21, 2020

17:16 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

IMCT reviews COVID-19 control room in Pune

An Inter-Ministerial Central Team on Tuesday reviewed Pune Municipal Corporation's control room to monitor the COVID0-19 situation in city. The IMCT held a meeting with administration officials including the divisional commissioner and collector.

17:07 (IST)

Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates

IMCTs arrive in Kolkata

Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), which arrived in Kolkata to review alleged lockdown violations, were escorted by state police and BSF during an area visit on Tuesday.

West Bengal: Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) being escorted by state police & BSF during area visit in Kolkata. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/FQQvTuMQzm

— ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020

16:54 (IST)

Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates

West Bengal govt likely to allow Centre's teams to visit Kolkata, say reports

Reports on Tuesday said that the West Bengal government is likely to allow central government teams to visit Kolkata to conduct review on alleged lockdown violations in the city, adding that the MHA wrote to the state government saying that the local administration is "not allowing the inter ministerial COVID-19 team to work".

16:45 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Centre instructsi states to ensure treatment needed for dialysis, HIV continue effectively

Health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal said, "We have issued detailed guidelines to all states that while we focus on COVID-19, all other services need to be provided, be it for dialysis, HIV/cancer treatments etc. At the same time required infection management prevention should be in place."

16:38 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

3,252 people of 18,601 patients have recovered, says Centre

Union health ministry on Tuesday said that so far, there are 18,601 positive cases, of which 3,252 people have recovered, including 705 people who recovered on Monday. This takes our recovery percentage to 17.48 percent.

Coronavirus Outbreak Updates: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued  an order to include additional agricultural and forestry items, shops of educational books for students, shops of electric fans and movement of Indian seafarers in to the list of permitted activities during the lockdown, which will continue till 3 May.

UK health secretary Matt Hancock announced that Oxford University researchers will begin human trials of a potential vaccine against the coronavirus on Thursday, reported BBC.

 56 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Telangana on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 928. This includes 711 active cases, 194 who were cured/discharged  and 23 deaths, according to the latest update provided by the state health department.

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday revoked lockdown relaxations and exemptions in Mumbai and Pune regions because '"people are not behaving responsibly", the CMO was quoted as saying. "Rest of the parts of the state to continue to have partial exemptions," the statement added.

The Maharashtra government said that 552 new COVID-19 cases and 19 deaths were reported in the state on Tuesday, taking total number of cases to 5,218 and toll to 251 in the state.

With 150 patients discharged from hospitals on Tuesday, the number of cured patients stands at 722.

The Mumbai fire brigade said that a level-II fire broken out at the Rippon Hotel in Mumbai's Nagpada area on Tuesday. The fire fighting operation on. The fire has been confined in the hotel's lodging room, which was being used as a quarantine centre for COVID-19 patients. Most of the patients rescued, search operation is on, the statement said.

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday said that 92 areas have been identified and designated as red zones in the union territory, of which 14 are in Jammu and 78 are in Kashmir. These red zones will be under stricter restrictions on movement, surveillance and will have enhanced testing, the statement said.

The Union health ministry said that the total number of COVID-19 positive cases rose to 18,985 in India. This includes 15,122 active cases, 3,260 cured/discharged/migrated people and 603 deaths.

The Maharashtra Police said that a total of 60,005 cases have been registered under Section 188 of IPC, since 22 March till 4 am on Tuesday, for violations of coronavirus lockdown norms. 411 accused have been arrested in cases of assault on policemen, the statement said.

An oncologist in Bengaluru has been given permission by the ICMR to use plasma therapy for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the state, the government said.

Karnataka minister Dr K Sudhakar said, "Plasma therapy holds great promise in treating COVID-19 patients and I am happy to inform that ICMR agreed to our request and has given permission for plasma treatment to Dr Vishal Rao, HCG Bangalore Institute of Oncology."

At least 25 people, including journalists, working for a Tamil news television channel tested positive for coronavirus here on Tuesday, a health department official said. To a question, the official said the test results of those associated with the television channel were being collated and indicated that the tally of total positives could be '27.'

The number of coronavirus cases in Rae Bareli district jumped from two to 35 with several people testing positive after coming in contact with participants at a Tablighi Jamaat congregation, officials said on Tuesday.

Rajasthan on Tuesday stopped using rapid test kits for coronavirus after receiving invalid and incorrect results for a large number of samples. Health Minister Raghu Sharma said the kits were giving mere five percent correct or valid results and a report has been forwarded to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in this regard.

Over 100 families residing at the President's Estate are under self-isolation as a preventive measure after a sanitation worker's relative tested positive for coronavirus, officials said Tuesday. The relative of the sanitation worker, who is a resident of the estate that houses Rashtrapati Bhavan, has been admitted to a hospital here for treatment, they said.

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien asked why the Centre did not send IMCT teams to states like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh despite the high number of cases and hotspots there.

The toll due to coronavirus rose to 77 in Gujarat as six more people succumbed to the disease, a health official said on Tuesday. About 127 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in the state, taking the tally to 2,066. This figure includes 131 recoveries and deaths so far.

Delhi has reported a total of 2081 positive cases, out of these 78 cases were found on Monday. The border between Delhi and Ghaziabad has been sealed as a measure to contain the spread of coronavirus.

472 more COVID-19 cases reported in Maharashtra till 10 am on Tuesday, taking total positive cases in the state to 4,676, reports ANI. Nine more deaths have been reported, taking the total toll in the state to 232, said Public Health of Department, Government of Maharashtra.

Three cops test positive for COVID-19 at Nabi Karim area in Paharganj, New Delhi. A total of 11 cops are COVID positive now in the central district. Nabi Karim area is one of the 84 containment zones in the National Capital.

25 hospital staff including 19 nurses tested positive for COVID-19 in Ruby Hall Clinic in Pune, said Bomi Bhote, Chief Executive Officer of Ruby Hall Clinic, reports ANI. Meanwhile, according to worldometer, about 1,70,456 people across the globe have died so far from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak as of 21 April.

The total number confirmed COVID-19 cases continue to rise steadily in Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, according to data from the Union Health Ministry. Rajasthan has so far reported 1,628 cases. Of these, 205 patients have recovered. The toll in the state stands at 25.

Five more persons tested positive for novel coronavirus in Odisha on Tuesday, taking the total number of such cases to 79 in the state, a health department official said.

There are now 18,601 total cases of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in India. Active cases stand at 14,759 and recoveries at 3,251 and deaths at 590.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he will be signing an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States.

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Monday said the rate of doubling of COVID-19 cases in the state has slowed down further to seven days from five days earlier.

One coronavirus positive case found in Rashtrapati Bhavan, 125 families sent on home quarantine, reports ANI. 125 families advised to remain in self-isolation as mandated by the Health Ministry’s guidelines as a precautionary measure.

US crude oil jumped more than $20 per barrel on Tuesday but still traded below $0 after plunging into negative territory for the first time in history, dragged down by a supply glut and sagging demand for crude due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The confirmed cases in India rose to 17,656 and the toll from the coronavirus outbreak rose to 559, while several states sought to contain the ballooning economic cost of the pandemic by easing some lockdown curbs.

However, some states preferred to maintain strict restrictions, with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka joining Delhi in deciding against any relaxation till 3 May.

Punjab, which had earlier ruled out any relaxation till 3 May, said some industrial activity may resume in areas other than those identified as high-risk 'containment zones'.

No new cases in 59 districts in fortnight, says health ministry

The coronvirus cases in India jumped to 17,656 on Monday. PTI

According to the Union health ministry, the number of coronavirus positive cases saw a sharp increase of 1,553 between Sunday and Monday, while there has been a recovery rate of about 15 percent.

In the daily COVID-19 press briefing, health ministry Joint Secretary Law Agarwal said as many as 59 districts across 23 states and Union Territories have not reported a single case in the last 14 days and also asserted that the rate of the number of cases doubling has improved to 7.5 days, from 3.4 days before the lockdown. Last Friday, he had put the rate of doubling of cases at 6.2 days.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Health Ministry officials said 80 percent patients were either asymptomatic or had only mild symptoms but were found to be positive after testing. They also said around 15 percent patients turn into severe cases, while 5 percent turn critical.

Later, in its 5 pm update, the ministry said the COVID-19 death toll has risen to 559 and the number of cases has risen to 17,656 across the country. Across the country, 2,851 people have been discharged, it said. According to data published on its website, the highest number of cases have been reported in Maharashtra (4,203), followed by Delhi (2,003), Gujarat (1,851), Uttar Pradesh (1,176) and Madhya Pradesh (1,485).

However, a PTI tally of figures reported by various states and Union Territories, as on 9.15 pm, showed 18,322 confirmed cases, 2,969 recoveries and 590 deaths.

Maharashtra total reaches 4,666, 53 journalists test positive in Mumbai

Based on reports coming from state governments, Maharashtra alone has reported 4,666 cases, while Delhi has also crossed 2,000. Gujarat has 1,939 cases, while Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan are above 1,500 each, closely followed by Madhya Pradesh with 1,414 cases.

Fresh cases reported from various parts of the country included those of police personnel in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, of health workers at various places, journalists in Mumbai and even of prisoners in Madhya Pradesh's Indore.

In Mumbai, where 3,032 cases have been recorded so far, 53 journalists have contracted the disease, reported Huffpost. Shiv Sena leader and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s health committee member Amey Ghole told the publication that samples of 167 Mumbai journalists had been collected for the test and 53 of these had tested positive. Significantly, most journalists who tested positive did not display any symptoms, according to ANI.

Gujarat reported 201 new coronavirus positive cases, taking the number of the affected people in the state to 1939, a health official told PTI, adding that most cases were being reported from virus hotspots.

The Tamil Nadu government said that 43 new coronavirus cases were reported in the state on Monday, taking the total number of cases to 1,520 in the state. Meanwhile, 46 COVID-19 patients were discharged on Monday.

Some states ease restrictions, Centre rebukes Kerala, West Bengal

Even as several states reported a rising number of cases, the first set of relaxations from the nationwide lockdown, which came into effect on 25 March, kicked in at select places across Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Goa among other states.

But despite the relaxations announced by state authorities, which are mostly limited to non-urban areas, industry executives said most companies have decided to wait for a complete exit from the lockdown as continuing restrictions on goods and people's movement make it difficult to resume stalled economic activities, which are estimated to have suffered a loss of Rs 7-8 lakh crores already.

While attendance at government establishments also increased marginally, there have been no relaxations as such for the public road transport, railway passenger services and flights.

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said restrictions on domestic and international flights will be lifted when the government is confident that spread of coronavirus has been controlled, and poses no danger to Indians.

Goa eased some lockdown restrictions, in line with the central government's guidelines, as there are currently no active cases i the state after the recovery of its last patient on Sunday. However, leaders there warned against any hurry in declaring the state a 'green zone' one or free of the virus.

Manipur chief minister Biren Singh said that the state has become COVID-19-free. "We have decided to relax coronavirus lockdown in rural areas but the lockdown will continue in Imphal till further orders. Shops of essential goods will open between 8 am and 2 pm in urban areas," he said.

Manipur chief minister Biren Singh said the state has become COVID-19-free and announced that restrictions will be relaxed in rural areas of the state. "We have decided to relax coronavirus lockdown in rural areas but it will continue in Imphal till further orders. Shops of essential goods will open between 8 am and 2 pm in urban areas," he said.

Kerala, where the doubling rate of cases is among the best in the country at 72.2 days, also announced a number of relaxations, but had to rescind some after facing the flak from the Centre.

In a letter to the state government, the Union Home Ministry said Kerala's decision to open restaurants, allow bus travel in cities and open MSME industries in urban areas amounted to dilution of the lockdown guidelines and also a Supreme Court observation. Later in the day, the state government decided not to allow plying of buses in cities, opening of restaurants and pillion riding on two-wheelers.

At the daily press briefing, Home Ministry Joint Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said states have been told that some of them were issuing certain guidelines that amounted to "diluting" the lockdown leading to "severe repercussions to health" of the citizens.

She said states and UTs can take stricter action than what is mentioned in the guidelines issued by the central government to enforce the nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 but cannot dilute or weaken them.

Separately, the home ministry also said the COVID-19 situation is "especially serious" in Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata and a few other places in West Bengal, and warned that violation of lockdown measures risks the spread of the novel coronavirus further. The ministry said six inter-ministerial central teams will visit these identified areas in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Rajasthan within the next three days to make on-the-spot assessment and recommend remedial measures in a report to the Centre.

In identical orders issued to the four states on Sunday, the home ministry said there have been several incidents of violence against COVID-19 front-line healthcare professionals, complete violation of social distancing norms and movement of vehicles in urban areas.

The Centre also dispatched a team to asses the seriousness of the COVID-19 situation in West Bengal, which saw its highest ever spike of 54 cases. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Mod where she voiced her displeasure at the state government having been kept in dark about the visit , which she said  violated established protocol.

Tamil Nadu, Karnataka extend lockdown till 3 May

Amid rising number of cases, Tamil Nadu government said prohibitory orders and other COVID-19 lockdown curbs will continue till May 3 without any relaxation, while the Karnataka Cabinet decided to promulgate an ordinance, giving it special powers to control the spread of COVID-19. These include provision for protection to front line health workers and making non-cooperation with the government a punishable offence.

Karnataka has also decided to continue the COVID-19 lockdown measures till 3 May without any relaxation, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister JC Madhuswamy said. However, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and the COVID-19 Task Force have been authorised to meet in three or four days to review and take further decisions about any relaxation.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said some relaxation for economic activities has been given from Monday but it is limited, as he asked people not to violate lockdown norms and avoid going out of their homes. In Uttar Pradesh, no relaxation would be given in Lucknow, Agra and Firozabad.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said limited industrial activities have been allowed in certain areas of the state to restart the wheels of the economy, but this should not be seen as indication that the threat of coronavirus has receded in any way.

There has been a rise of 835 cases of COVID-19 in Maharashtra in the last 36 hours, but we are relaxing the stringent norms of lockdown to restart the wheels of economy, he said.

Assam's Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state "will not be able" to pay salaries of its employees for May if it does not get financial support from outside.

Global toll crosses 1.66 lakh

According to the the John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource centre, 1,66,794 people have died due to the viral disease across the world. Italy has reported the highest number of deaths (23,660) while Spain recorded 20,852. However, the USA now has the most number of infections (7,61,991) while the global count has reached 2,432,092.

However, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that “the worst is yet ahead of us”, while alluding to the Spanish flu of 1918.

“Trust us. The worst is yet ahead of us,” he said. “Let’s prevent this tragedy. It’s a virus that many people still don’t understand,” news agency AP quoted him as saying.

With inputs from agencies

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[primehealthdubai]

CORONAVIRUS: UAE DOCTORS NOW AVAILABLE VIA TELEHEALTH

Nationals & residents of the UAE can now access medical consultation via phones though the new PRIME Telehealth platform licensed by the Dubai Health Authority. The service is currently to existing patients of PRIME, they need to book an appointment for PRIME Telehealth service by calling 047070777. Their own doctor will use a telehealth platform to communicate with them while

https://sites.google.com/view/primehospitalcovidteleservice

[brajeshupadhyay]

00:11 (IST) Coronavirus in Pakistan Latest Updates Imran Khan to take coronavirus test    Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan will take the coronavirus test as a philanthropist he met last week tested positive for the disease, reported the Times of India. Faisal Edih, chairman of the Karachi-based Edhi Foundation and son of the the late Abdul Sattar Edhi, met the prime minister last week to donate to the PM's Relief Fund. He tested positive on Tuesday.  Faisal Sultan, the prime minister's personal physician and COVID-19 advisor, told media that would the leader to be tested. "We will follow all protocols in place and make recommendations accordingly," reports quote him as saying. 23:56 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates  4,62,621 samples tested so far, says ICMR According to the 9pm update issued by ICMR, a total of 4,62,621 samples from 4,47,812 have been tested till date, while  26, 943 samples were reported on Tuesday. However, the number of individuals who have tested posted was not mentioned in the update. 23:47 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates Markaaz chief asks Jamaat workers to donate plasma blood Tablighi Jamaat chief Mohammad Saad  has written a letter to Jamaat workers and all Muslims who have been cured of COVID19, appealing to them  to donate blood plasma for those still infected and under treatment.   Tablighi Jamaat Chief Mohammad Saad appeals to Jamaat's workers and all Muslims who have been cured of COVID19 to donate blood plasma for those still infected and under treatment. pic.twitter.com/ztuvcNGbOY — ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020 23:39 (IST) Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates Twelve more test positive in Jammu and Kashmir, total reaches 380   A dozen more coronavirus cases surfaced in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, taking the total in the Union territory to 380, PTI quotes an official bulletin as saying..  Eleven of the fresh cases were reported in Kashmir and one in Jammu's Kathua, it said. The UT has recorded five fatalities due to the disease so far, four in Kashmir and one in Udhampur district of Jammu, while 81 patients have recovered, the bulletin stated.  It added that 10 COVID-19 patients were discharged during the day.  23:36 (IST) Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates Woman cop at Uddhav Thackeray's official residence tests positive A woman police constable posted at `Varsha', the official residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister, tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday, PTI quotes a senior official as saying. Also, a male constable at the official residence of Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis has tested positive, according to a civic official. The Varsha bungalow in south Mumbai is currently unoccupied as Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray lives in his family residence in suburban Bandra.   23:27 (IST) Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates IMA, seven other medical organisations write to Mamata Banerjee The Indian Medical Association (IMA) and seven other medical organisations have collectively written to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, stating that the state's real-time and transparent data of Covid-19, including daily medical bulletins of all healthcare workers under treatment is highly solicited. Indian Medical Association (IMA) & 7 other medical organizations have collectively written to West Bengal CM. Letter states, "Real-time, transparent data of #COVID19 in our state, including daily medical bulletins of all healthcare workers under treatment is highly solicited". pic.twitter.com/hTeRNmFz2U — ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020 23:19 (IST) Coronavirus in Maharashtra  Latest Updates Case count rises to 108 in Nashik The case count in Maharashtra's Nashik district rose to 108 on Tuesday. 10 cases were reported in Nashik city, four in Nashik rural and 94 in Malegaon.  22:59 (IST) Coronavirus in UK  Latest Updates UK toll rises by 828 A total of 17,337 people in hospital with coronavirus have died in Britain, show new health ministry figures, an increase of 828 from the previous day, reports News18.    22:52 (IST) Coronavirus in UK  Latest Updates Oxford University researchers to begin trial of potential vaccine on Thursday: Report UK health secretary Matt Hancock announced that Oxford University researchers will begin human trials of a potential vaccine against the coronavirus on Thursday, reported BBC. According to the report, the vaccine uses a small section of the genetic code packaged into a harmless virus. Scientists hope that delivering this into the body will teach the immune system how to fight off the real disease, without ever needing to become infected with coronavirus.The plan is to test it on around 500 volunteers by mid-May and if that work proves successful, give it to thousands more volunteers, said the report.  The secretary also announced that the government had pledged more than £40m to two British projects searching for a vaccine - the one by Oxford and the other led by the Imperial College. 22:38 (IST) Coronavirus in Manipur Latest Updates Manipur's second COVID-19 patient discharged The second COVID-19 patient in Manipur was discharged from the Regional Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) on Tuesday as he tested negative in consecutive tests, PTI quotes RIMS director Prof Ahanthem Santa Singh as saying. The patient was advised home quarantine, according to protocol, the RIMS director said . 22:35 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates Shops selling school books, electric fans allowed to stay open during lockdown: MHA The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued  an order to include additional agricultural and forestry items, shops of educational books for students, shops of electric fans and movement of Indian seafarers in to the list of permitted activities during the lockdown, which will continue till 3 May. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issues order to include additional agricultural and forestry items, shops of educational books for students, shops of electric fans and movement of Indian seafarers in lockdown guidelines, gives SoP on sign-on/sign-off for Indian seafarers. pic.twitter.com/NBnQ6BkX34 — ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020 22:30 (IST) Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates Delhi-Noida border sealed: Gautam Buddh Nagar DM The Delhi-Noida border has been sealed to prevent further spread of the viral disease, said an order issued by Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate. However, vehicles transporting goods, those ferrying persons who provide emergency services, media persons, government employees and those engaged in providing COVID-19 services will be allowed to ply, according to the order. Dear residents, As per the medical department advice, in the larger public interest, as a preventive measure to fight Covid 19, we are closing Delhi-GB nagar/Noida border completely, with following specified exceptions. You are kindly requested to cooperate. StayHome StaySafe🙏 pic.twitter.com/es4ap51XVW — DM G.B. Nagar (@dmgbnagar) April 21, 2020 22:13 (IST) Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates Three cops at Delhi's Nabi Karim test positive Three policemen posted at Nabi Karim police station of central district tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, PTI quotes officials as saying.They were on picket duty and the contact tracing is going on, police said.  They have been admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital while their families have been asked to quarantine themselves, a senior police officer said. Till now, 16 policemen in the National Capital have contracted the disease. 22:06 (IST) Coronavirus in Rajasthan Latest Updates Cases in Rajasthan rise to 1,735 159  more COVID19 cases were detected in Rajasthan  on Tuesday, taking the total cases in the stateto  1735, said the 9 pm update issued by the state health department. 72 cases were reported from Jaipur alone. #CoronaVirusUpdates #Rajasthan New #Covid19 positive cases: 76 Total cases in #Rajasthan today : 159#Ajmer 35#Bhilwara 5#Dausa 7#Hanumangarh 5#Jaipur 72#Jodhpur 16#Jaisalmer 2#Jhunjhunu 1#Kota 2#Nagaur 10#Tonk 2#SawaiMadhopur 2 Cumulative positive: 1735 pic.twitter.com/ccY2Jl5J7A — PIB in Rajasthan (@PIBJaipur) April 21, 2020 22:00 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates WHO condoles death of staff in Myanmar Heart broken to share devastating news: @WHO lost a valued colleague, Pyae Sone Win Maun, who was wounded in a security incident in Myanmar, while transporting #COVID19 surveillance samples. Tragic to lose a life while keeping the world safe. My deepest condolences to the family. — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 21, 2020 21:56 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates ICMR issues guidelines for testing strategy for pregnant women The Indian Council of Medical Research issued guidelines on a testing strategy for pregnant women. According to the guidelines, pregnant women living in containment zones, shelters housing migrant workers who present signs of labour or are likely to deliver in the next five days should be tested even if asymptomatic. ICMR strategy for #COVID19 testing for pregnant women - "Pregnant women residing in clusters/containment area or in large migration gatherings/evacuees center from hotspot districts presenting in labor or likely to deliver in next 5 days should be tested even if asymptomatic". pic.twitter.com/00TUq6KduK — ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020 21:41 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates Govt to conduct tele-survey on COVID-19 symptoms Government of India will conduct a telephonic survey to gather feedback from citizens on prevalence and distribution of COVID19 symptoms, reports ANI. This survey is to be carried out by NIC and calls will be coming on mobile phones from calling number 1921. 21:37 (IST) Coronavirus in Telangana Latest Updates 56 more test positive in Telangana, count reaches 928 56 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Telangana on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 928. This includes 711 active cases, 194 who were cured/discharged  and 23 deaths, according to the latest update provided by the state health department. 56 more #COVID19 cases reported in Telangana today. Total number of cases in the state now at 928, including 711 active cases, 194 cured/discharged & 23 deaths: State Health Department pic.twitter.com/GpCsTr0UbO — ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020 21:31 (IST) Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates Tested positive, but doing well, says TV9 Bharatvarsh journalist  A journalist with TV9 Bharatvarsh said that she was among the 53 journalists who had tested positive for COVID-19 in Mumbai yesterday. "Unfortunately I am one of those Mumbai journalist who tested POSITIVE for corona virus but I am doing well as of now. I keep praying, hoping and believing that soon I will win this battle," she posted on Twitter. 21:14 (IST) Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates No COVID-19 case reported in Ghaziabad today India Today reported that no new case of COVID-19 was reported in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad on Tuesday. 21:06 (IST) Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates 137 new COVID-19 cases reported in Uttar Pradesh today The Uttar Pradesh government said that with 137 new cases reported on Tuesday, the tally of COVID-19 cases in the state rose to 1,337. The toll stands at 21 in the state. 20:59 (IST) Coronavirus in Haryana Latest Updates South Korea company starts production of rapid test kits in Haryana The Embassy of India in Sourth Korea on Tuesday said that SD Biosensor (a South Korea-based company) started production from its Manesar, Haryana facility with a capacity of 5,00,000 rapid test kits per week. This will be further enhanced in the coming weeks to meet growing demand, the statement said. 20:54 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates MHA specifies activities exempted from lockdown restrictions The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was quoted by ANI as saying, "It is clarified that specific services/activities-caregivers of senior citizens residing with them, prepaid mobile recharge utilities, food processing units in urban areas have already been exempted from lockdown measures to fight COVID-19." It is clarified that specific services/activities-caregivers of senior citizens residing with them, prepaid mobile recharge utilities, food processing units in urban areas have already been exempted from #lockdown measures to fight #COVID19: Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs pic.twitter.com/s5zpyh5Pzv — ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020 20:45 (IST) Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates 355 new COVID-19 cases reported in Mumbai today The MCGM said that 355 new COVID-19 patients, including 219 patients tested positive between 14-18 April and admitted in isolation wards, were reported in Mumbai on Tuesday. The total number positive patients is now 3,445. Out of 12 deaths on Tuesday, eight had co-morbidities and fiour had age related factors. 20:28 (IST) Coronavirus in Uttarakhand Latest Updates No new COVID-19 cases reported in Uttarakhand today No new COVID-19 case were reported in Uttarakhand on Tuesday, the state government said, adding that the total number of positive cases in the state stands at 46. 20:20 (IST) Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates 75 new COVID-19 cases reported in Delhi today The Delhi health department said that 75 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the National Capital on Tuesday, taking the total number of positive cases to 2,156. 20:07 (IST) Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates Delhi containment zones rise to 87 The number of COVID-19 'containment zones' in Delhi were raised to 87 by the Delhi government on Tuesday. Number of COVID19 'containment zones' in Delhi raised to 87 by Delhi government. pic.twitter.com/AGGx6QNp50 — ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020 20:00 (IST) Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates 552 new cases, 19 deaths reported in Maharashtra today The Maharashtra government said that 552 new COVID-19 cases and 19 deaths were reported in the state on Tuesday, taking total number of cases to 5,218 and toll to 251 in the state. With 150 patients discharged from hospitals on Tuesday, the number of cured patients stands at 722. 19:51 (IST) Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates 274 active COVID-19 cases in Bengal so far The West Bengal government said that as of Tuesday, there are 274 active COVID-19 cases and 15 deaths due to coronavirus in the state. 19:42 (IST) Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates Maharashtra govt revokes lockdown exemptions in Mumbai, Pune The Maharashtra government on Tuesday revoked lockdown relaxations and exemptions in Mumbai and Pune regions because '"people are not behaving responsibly", the CMO was quoted as saying. "Rest of the parts of the state to continue to have partial exemptions," the statement added. 19:28 (IST) Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates Fire breaks out at hotel being used as a quarantine centre in Mumbai The Mumbai fire brigade said that a level-II fire broken out at the Rippon Hotel in Mumbai's Nagpada area on Tuesday. The fire fighting operation on. The fire has been confined in the hotel's lodging room, which was being used as a quarantine centre for COVID-19 patients. Most of the patients rescued, search operation is on, the statement said. 19:22 (IST) Coronavirus in Punjab Latest Updates Six new COVID-19 cases reported in Punjab today The Punjab government said that six people tested positive for COVID19 in the state on Tuesday, of which one was reported in SAS Nagar and five in Patiala. All six cases have contact history with positive patient. The COVID19 cases rose to 251 in Punjab, including 49 cured and 16 deaths. 62 cases have been reported in SAS Nagar, 48 in Jalandhar and 31 in Patiala. 19:11 (IST) Coronavirus in Chhattisgarh Latest Updates Bhupesh Baghel asks Modi for financial aid of Rs 30,000 cr Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to provide financial assistance of Rs 30,000 crore to the state in the next three months for the operation of relief and welfare schemes and relaxation in the economic activities related to revenue generation in the state. So far, 36 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the state, out of which 25 people have been discharged and the other 11 are under treatment. Around 400 people are being tested every day in the state. No new positive case found in last five days. 19:02 (IST) Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Updates COVID-19 patient from first cluster in Kerala still infected, says CM Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said, "In Pathanamthitta, a woman belonging to the first cluster of COVID-19 cases is still positive after 36 days. How the coronavirus behaves cannot be predicted. Even after repeat tests every alternative day, the patient is positive. Her condition is stable." 18:57 (IST) Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates 76 new COVID-19 cases reported in Tamil Nadu today The Tamil Nadu government said that 76 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the state on Tuesday, taking total number of positive cases in the state to 1,596. One death was also reported on Tuesday, taking the total toll in the state to 18. 76 persons tested positive in Tamil Nadu today, taking total number of positive cases in the state to 1,596. One death reported today; the total number of deaths till date stands at 18 now: Health Department, Government of Tamil Nadu pic.twitter.com/z0WW9DjZkM — ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020 18:39 (IST) Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates 92 areas designated as red zones in Jammu and Kashmir The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday said that 92 areas have been identified and designated as red zones in the union territory, of which 14 are in Jammu and 78 are in Kashmir. These red zones will be under stricter restrictions on movement, surveillance and will have enhanced testing, the statement said. 18:33 (IST) Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates 2,081 COVID-19 cases reported in Delhi till yesterday Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that 2,081 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the National Capital till Monday night. Of these, 431 have recovered and 47 have lost their lives due to the virus. Currently, there are 1,603 active cases. 18:26 (IST) Coronavirus in Punjab Latest Updates Amarinder Singh asks Amit Shah for interim compensation of Rs 3,000 cr Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding interim compensation of Rs 3,000 crore for the month of April on account of the COVID-19 national disaster, along with immediate release of Rs 4,400 crore of pending GST arrears, reports said. 18:18 (IST) Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Updates 19 new COVID-19 cases reported in Kerala  Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that 19 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the state on Tuesday. Of these, 10 were reported in Kannur, four in Palakkad, three in Kasargod, one each in Malappuram and Kollam. He added that 12 people have recent foreign travel history. Total active COVID-19 cases in the state reaches 117. 18:09 (IST) Coronavirus in Odisha Latest Updates Odisha health bulletin today: Total samples tested — 11,748 Number of positive cases — 79 Number of people recovered — 29 Toll — 01 Number active cases — 49 18:02 (IST) Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates 29 new COVID-19 cases reported in last 24 hours in Bengal The West Begal chief secretary said that 29 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the state in the last 24 hours. The total toll in the state is at 15. "Rapid testing has begun in the state. Today 220 rapid tests conducted in Howrah and Kolkata. The results have been sent to the health department," said West Bengal chief secretary Rajiva Sinha 17:56 (IST) Coronavirus in Karnataka Latest Updates 10 new COVID-19 cases reported in Karnataka The Karnataka health department said that 10 new coronavirus cases were reported in the state in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases are at 418, including 17 deaths and 129 recoveries 17:44 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates Almost 4.5 lakh samples tested for COVID-19 so far, says ICMR ICMR's R Gangakhedkhar on Tuesday said that 4,49,810 samples have been tested so far. 35,852 samples were tested on Monday, of which 29,776 samples were tested in 201 Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) network labs and remaining 6,076 samples were tested in 86 private labs, he said. 17:39 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates  COVID-19 cases rise to 18,985 in India The Union health ministry said that the total number of COVID-19 positive cases rose to 18,985 in India. This includes 15,122 active cases, 3,260 cured/discharged/migrated people and 603 deaths. 17:27 (IST) Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates TMC MP slams Centre over IMCTs TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee slammed the Centre over the IMCTs that have been sent to West Bengal to review lockdown violations in the state. You cripple GoWB with faulty kits from ICMR & then send IMCTs to monitor GoWB's performance while keeping the State Govt in dark. In the name of combating the COVID-19 crisis, you're playing with the lives of Bengalis while your leaders use skewed testing nos for fake propaganda. https://t.co/4U8p2aT9q6 — Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) April 21, 2020 17:16 (IST) Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates IMCT reviews COVID-19 control room in Pune An Inter-Ministerial Central Team on Tuesday reviewed Pune Municipal Corporation's control room to monitor the COVID0-19 situation in city. The IMCT held a meeting with administration officials including the divisional commissioner and collector. 17:07 (IST) Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates IMCTs arrive in Kolkata Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), which arrived in Kolkata to review alleged lockdown violations, were escorted by state police and BSF during an area visit on Tuesday. West Bengal: Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) being escorted by state police & BSF during area visit in Kolkata. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/FQQvTuMQzm — ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020 16:54 (IST) Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates West Bengal govt likely to allow Centre's teams to visit Kolkata, say reports Reports on Tuesday said that the West Bengal government is likely to allow central government teams to visit Kolkata to conduct review on alleged lockdown violations in the city, adding that the MHA wrote to the state government saying that the local administration is "not allowing the inter ministerial COVID-19 team to work". 16:45 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates Centre instructsi states to ensure treatment needed for dialysis, HIV continue effectively Health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal said, "We have issued detailed guidelines to all states that while we focus on COVID-19, all other services need to be provided, be it for dialysis, HIV/cancer treatments etc. At the same time required infection management prevention should be in place." 16:38 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates 3,252 people of 18,601 patients have recovered, says Centre Union health ministry on Tuesday said that so far, there are 18,601 positive cases, of which 3,252 people have recovered, including 705 people who recovered on Monday. This takes our recovery percentage to 17.48 percent. Coronavirus Outbreak Updates: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued  an order to include additional agricultural and forestry items, shops of educational books for students, shops of electric fans and movement of Indian seafarers in to the list of permitted activities during the lockdown, which will continue till 3 May. UK health secretary Matt Hancock announced that Oxford University researchers will begin human trials of a potential vaccine against the coronavirus on Thursday, reported BBC.  56 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Telangana on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 928. This includes 711 active cases, 194 who were cured/discharged  and 23 deaths, according to the latest update provided by the state health department. The Maharashtra government on Tuesday revoked lockdown relaxations and exemptions in Mumbai and Pune regions because '"people are not behaving responsibly", the CMO was quoted as saying. "Rest of the parts of the state to continue to have partial exemptions," the statement added. The Maharashtra government said that 552 new COVID-19 cases and 19 deaths were reported in the state on Tuesday, taking total number of cases to 5,218 and toll to 251 in the state. With 150 patients discharged from hospitals on Tuesday, the number of cured patients stands at 722. The Mumbai fire brigade said that a level-II fire broken out at the Rippon Hotel in Mumbai's Nagpada area on Tuesday. The fire fighting operation on. The fire has been confined in the hotel's lodging room, which was being used as a quarantine centre for COVID-19 patients. Most of the patients rescued, search operation is on, the statement said. The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday said that 92 areas have been identified and designated as red zones in the union territory, of which 14 are in Jammu and 78 are in Kashmir. These red zones will be under stricter restrictions on movement, surveillance and will have enhanced testing, the statement said. The Union health ministry said that the total number of COVID-19 positive cases rose to 18,985 in India. This includes 15,122 active cases, 3,260 cured/discharged/migrated people and 603 deaths. The Maharashtra Police said that a total of 60,005 cases have been registered under Section 188 of IPC, since 22 March till 4 am on Tuesday, for violations of coronavirus lockdown norms. 411 accused have been arrested in cases of assault on policemen, the statement said. An oncologist in Bengaluru has been given permission by the ICMR to use plasma therapy for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the state, the government said. Karnataka minister Dr K Sudhakar said, "Plasma therapy holds great promise in treating COVID-19 patients and I am happy to inform that ICMR agreed to our request and has given permission for plasma treatment to Dr Vishal Rao, HCG Bangalore Institute of Oncology." At least 25 people, including journalists, working for a Tamil news television channel tested positive for coronavirus here on Tuesday, a health department official said. To a question, the official said the test results of those associated with the television channel were being collated and indicated that the tally of total positives could be '27.' The number of coronavirus cases in Rae Bareli district jumped from two to 35 with several people testing positive after coming in contact with participants at a Tablighi Jamaat congregation, officials said on Tuesday. Rajasthan on Tuesday stopped using rapid test kits for coronavirus after receiving invalid and incorrect results for a large number of samples. Health Minister Raghu Sharma said the kits were giving mere five percent correct or valid results and a report has been forwarded to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in this regard. Over 100 families residing at the President's Estate are under self-isolation as a preventive measure after a sanitation worker's relative tested positive for coronavirus, officials said Tuesday. The relative of the sanitation worker, who is a resident of the estate that houses Rashtrapati Bhavan, has been admitted to a hospital here for treatment, they said. Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien asked why the Centre did not send IMCT teams to states like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh despite the high number of cases and hotspots there. The toll due to coronavirus rose to 77 in Gujarat as six more people succumbed to the disease, a health official said on Tuesday. About 127 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in the state, taking the tally to 2,066. This figure includes 131 recoveries and deaths so far. Delhi has reported a total of 2081 positive cases, out of these 78 cases were found on Monday. The border between Delhi and Ghaziabad has been sealed as a measure to contain the spread of coronavirus. 472 more COVID-19 cases reported in Maharashtra till 10 am on Tuesday, taking total positive cases in the state to 4,676, reports ANI. Nine more deaths have been reported, taking the total toll in the state to 232, said Public Health of Department, Government of Maharashtra. Three cops test positive for COVID-19 at Nabi Karim area in Paharganj, New Delhi. A total of 11 cops are COVID positive now in the central district. Nabi Karim area is one of the 84 containment zones in the National Capital. 25 hospital staff including 19 nurses tested positive for COVID-19 in Ruby Hall Clinic in Pune, said Bomi Bhote, Chief Executive Officer of Ruby Hall Clinic, reports ANI. Meanwhile, according to worldometer, about 1,70,456 people across the globe have died so far from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak as of 21 April. The total number confirmed COVID-19 cases continue to rise steadily in Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, according to data from the Union Health Ministry. Rajasthan has so far reported 1,628 cases. Of these, 205 patients have recovered. The toll in the state stands at 25. Five more persons tested positive for novel coronavirus in Odisha on Tuesday, taking the total number of such cases to 79 in the state, a health department official said. There are now 18,601 total cases of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in India. Active cases stand at 14,759 and recoveries at 3,251 and deaths at 590. US President Donald Trump said on Monday he will be signing an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States. Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Monday said the rate of doubling of COVID-19 cases in the state has slowed down further to seven days from five days earlier. One coronavirus positive case found in Rashtrapati Bhavan, 125 families sent on home quarantine, reports ANI. 125 families advised to remain in self-isolation as mandated by the Health Ministry’s guidelines as a precautionary measure. US crude oil jumped more than $20 per barrel on Tuesday but still traded below $0 after plunging into negative territory for the first time in history, dragged down by a supply glut and sagging demand for crude due to the coronavirus pandemic. The confirmed cases in India rose to 17,656 and the toll from the coronavirus outbreak rose to 559, while several states sought to contain the ballooning economic cost of the pandemic by easing some lockdown curbs. However, some states preferred to maintain strict restrictions, with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka joining Delhi in deciding against any relaxation till 3 May. Punjab, which had earlier ruled out any relaxation till 3 May, said some industrial activity may resume in areas other than those identified as high-risk 'containment zones'. No new cases in 59 districts in fortnight, says health ministry The coronvirus cases in India jumped to 17,656 on Monday. PTI According to the Union health ministry, the number of coronavirus positive cases saw a sharp increase of 1,553 between Sunday and Monday, while there has been a recovery rate of about 15 percent. In the daily COVID-19 press briefing, health ministry Joint Secretary Law Agarwal said as many as 59 districts across 23 states and Union Territories have not reported a single case in the last 14 days and also asserted that the rate of the number of cases doubling has improved to 7.5 days, from 3.4 days before the lockdown. Last Friday, he had put the rate of doubling of cases at 6.2 days. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Health Ministry officials said 80 percent patients were either asymptomatic or had only mild symptoms but were found to be positive after testing. They also said around 15 percent patients turn into severe cases, while 5 percent turn critical. Later, in its 5 pm update, the ministry said the COVID-19 death toll has risen to 559 and the number of cases has risen to 17,656 across the country. Across the country, 2,851 people have been discharged, it said. According to data published on its website, the highest number of cases have been reported in Maharashtra (4,203), followed by Delhi (2,003), Gujarat (1,851), Uttar Pradesh (1,176) and Madhya Pradesh (1,485). However, a PTI tally of figures reported by various states and Union Territories, as on 9.15 pm, showed 18,322 confirmed cases, 2,969 recoveries and 590 deaths. Maharashtra total reaches 4,666, 53 journalists test positive in Mumbai Based on reports coming from state governments, Maharashtra alone has reported 4,666 cases, while Delhi has also crossed 2,000. Gujarat has 1,939 cases, while Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan are above 1,500 each, closely followed by Madhya Pradesh with 1,414 cases. Fresh cases reported from various parts of the country included those of police personnel in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, of health workers at various places, journalists in Mumbai and even of prisoners in Madhya Pradesh's Indore. In Mumbai, where 3,032 cases have been recorded so far, 53 journalists have contracted the disease, reported Huffpost. Shiv Sena leader and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s health committee member Amey Ghole told the publication that samples of 167 Mumbai journalists had been collected for the test and 53 of these had tested positive. Significantly, most journalists who tested positive did not display any symptoms, according to ANI. Gujarat reported 201 new coronavirus positive cases, taking the number of the affected people in the state to 1939, a health official told PTI, adding that most cases were being reported from virus hotspots. The Tamil Nadu government said that 43 new coronavirus cases were reported in the state on Monday, taking the total number of cases to 1,520 in the state. Meanwhile, 46 COVID-19 patients were discharged on Monday. Some states ease restrictions, Centre rebukes Kerala, West Bengal Even as several states reported a rising number of cases, the first set of relaxations from the nationwide lockdown, which came into effect on 25 March, kicked in at select places across Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Goa among other states. But despite the relaxations announced by state authorities, which are mostly limited to non-urban areas, industry executives said most companies have decided to wait for a complete exit from the lockdown as continuing restrictions on goods and people's movement make it difficult to resume stalled economic activities, which are estimated to have suffered a loss of Rs 7-8 lakh crores already. While attendance at government establishments also increased marginally, there have been no relaxations as such for the public road transport, railway passenger services and flights. Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said restrictions on domestic and international flights will be lifted when the government is confident that spread of coronavirus has been controlled, and poses no danger to Indians. Goa eased some lockdown restrictions, in line with the central government's guidelines, as there are currently no active cases i the state after the recovery of its last patient on Sunday. However, leaders there warned against any hurry in declaring the state a 'green zone' one or free of the virus. Manipur chief minister Biren Singh said that the state has become COVID-19-free. "We have decided to relax coronavirus lockdown in rural areas but the lockdown will continue in Imphal till further orders. Shops of essential goods will open between 8 am and 2 pm in urban areas," he said. Manipur chief minister Biren Singh said the state has become COVID-19-free and announced that restrictions will be relaxed in rural areas of the state. "We have decided to relax coronavirus lockdown in rural areas but it will continue in Imphal till further orders. Shops of essential goods will open between 8 am and 2 pm in urban areas," he said. Kerala, where the doubling rate of cases is among the best in the country at 72.2 days, also announced a number of relaxations, but had to rescind some after facing the flak from the Centre. In a letter to the state government, the Union Home Ministry said Kerala's decision to open restaurants, allow bus travel in cities and open MSME industries in urban areas amounted to dilution of the lockdown guidelines and also a Supreme Court observation. Later in the day, the state government decided not to allow plying of buses in cities, opening of restaurants and pillion riding on two-wheelers. At the daily press briefing, Home Ministry Joint Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said states have been told that some of them were issuing certain guidelines that amounted to "diluting" the lockdown leading to "severe repercussions to health" of the citizens. She said states and UTs can take stricter action than what is mentioned in the guidelines issued by the central government to enforce the nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 but cannot dilute or weaken them. Separately, the home ministry also said the COVID-19 situation is "especially serious" in Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata and a few other places in West Bengal, and warned that violation of lockdown measures risks the spread of the novel coronavirus further. The ministry said six inter-ministerial central teams will visit these identified areas in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Rajasthan within the next three days to make on-the-spot assessment and recommend remedial measures in a report to the Centre. In identical orders issued to the four states on Sunday, the home ministry said there have been several incidents of violence against COVID-19 front-line healthcare professionals, complete violation of social distancing norms and movement of vehicles in urban areas. The Centre also dispatched a team to asses the seriousness of the COVID-19 situation in West Bengal, which saw its highest ever spike of 54 cases. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Mod where she voiced her displeasure at the state government having been kept in dark about the visit , which she said  violated established protocol. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka extend lockdown till 3 May Amid rising number of cases, Tamil Nadu government said prohibitory orders and other COVID-19 lockdown curbs will continue till May 3 without any relaxation, while the Karnataka Cabinet decided to promulgate an ordinance, giving it special powers to control the spread of COVID-19. These include provision for protection to front line health workers and making non-cooperation with the government a punishable offence. Karnataka has also decided to continue the COVID-19 lockdown measures till 3 May without any relaxation, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister JC Madhuswamy said. However, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and the COVID-19 Task Force have been authorised to meet in three or four days to review and take further decisions about any relaxation. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said some relaxation for economic activities has been given from Monday but it is limited, as he asked people not to violate lockdown norms and avoid going out of their homes. In Uttar Pradesh, no relaxation would be given in Lucknow, Agra and Firozabad. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said limited industrial activities have been allowed in certain areas of the state to restart the wheels of the economy, but this should not be seen as indication that the threat of coronavirus has receded in any way. There has been a rise of 835 cases of COVID-19 in Maharashtra in the last 36 hours, but we are relaxing the stringent norms of lockdown to restart the wheels of economy, he said. Assam's Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state "will not be able" to pay salaries of its employees for May if it does not get financial support from outside. Global toll crosses 1.66 lakh According to the the John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource centre, 1,66,794 people have died due to the viral disease across the world. Italy has reported the highest number of deaths (23,660) while Spain recorded 20,852. However, the USA now has the most number of infections (7,61,991) while the global count has reached 2,432,092. However, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that “the worst is yet ahead of us”, while alluding to the Spanish flu of 1918. “Trust us. The worst is yet ahead of us,” he said. “Let’s prevent this tragedy. It’s a virus that many people still don’t understand,” news agency AP quoted him as saying. With inputs from agencies

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