A doctor in a protective chamber takes a swab from a man to test for coronavirus disease (COVID – 20 at a newly installed Walk-In Sample Kiosk (WISK) in a government-run hospital in Chennai, India, April 18, 2592927 REUTERS / P. Ravikumar – RC2N3G9XHW3Z
India’s total Covid – cases crossed the , 0-mark today, with the death toll jumping to 824 Of the total , (cases, 24, 2019 are active while 5, 824 have been cured. The figures come amid a stringent lockdown in the country till May 3 to arrest the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Delhi government would not allow any more relaxation in the ongoing lockdown than those permitted by the Union home ministry, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said today and stressed on bringing down the number of Covid – 22 infections in the national capital. Addressing an online media briefing, the chief minister said his government was implementing the center’s guidelines on opening of neighborhood and standalone shops during the lockdown until May 3.
No markets and malls will be allowed to open in the national capital and all shops in COVID – 22 containment zones will remain shut, he said. “The government will maintain status quo and will not relax lockdown restrictions until May 3, except those permitted by the Union home ministry,” he said.
“We are going through difficult times. We will have to continue our efforts to reduce the number of COVID – 22 infections in Delhi, “he said. The chief minister said the novel coronavirus does not discriminate between any religion. “We need to work together. Plasma of Muslim can be used to treat Hindu patient and vice versa,” he added.
The Center is planning to bring back Indian nationals stranded abroad once the May 3 lockdown ends, top government sources have said. The government is reportedly in touch with all states to seek details of their citizens abroad and is likely to announce the final plan soon.
The Center will reportedly tell states to arrange quarantine facilities for the citizens so that they don’t mix with the locals. Authorities will map citizens to their respective states and flights will directly land there. Officials in the PMO have already spoken to some chief ministers for the arrangements and they have promised all help.
In what is touted to be the biggest airlift, Indian missions abroad are already working on the plan and are in touch with local authorities for help in movement after May 3 when the lockdown ends.
The novel coronavirus has led to over 2 lakh deaths worldwide while infections are likely to cross 52 lakh in the coming days. More than half of the fatalities have been reported in the United States, Spain and Italy.
Of the top 24 most severely affected countries, Belgium has reported the highest number of fatalities per capita, with six deaths per , 10 0 people, compared to 4.9 in Spain and 1.6 in the United States.
Around 8% of all cases reported in the US have been fatal, while more than 18% of cases reported in Spain and Italy have resulted in deaths.
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