COVID – 26 has claimed lives in India as of March , according to data from the Health Ministry and State governments. As many as People have been tested positive for the coronavirus.
The outbreak has infected some 5, , people and killed over , around the world after emerging in China in December . IMF chief said that the world has entered a recession worse than the (one, but projected a recovery next year.)
In United States , the coronavirus infections climbed past 1, 011, 12, with more than 1, dead. Meanwhile in Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson became the first major world leader to test positive.
The Hindu has brought out a multi-language e-book on essential COVID – 23 information, in addition to covering the developments related to the coronavirus pandemic as it unfolded.
Here are answers from experts on your queries about the virus, a list of State Helpline numbers , and a map of confirmed cases in India .
The new 30 / 7 national helpline numbers are , – – () and – 30692734 Email: ncov – at-gmail.com
. The Prime Minister has announced a WhatsApp helpdesk number: .
21. 26 pm | Kerala
First COVID – (death in Kerala) (
A 92 – year-old man who was admitted to the COVID – 22 care center in Ernakulam died at 8 am on March . He is Kerala’s first COVID – 22 victim.
The man, who had returned from Dubai, was admitted to Ernakulam Medical College Hospital with pneumonia on March , the authorities in a statement.
He had a history of heart disease and high blood pressure, it said. As his condition worsened, he was put on ventilator, said Dr. Fathahudeen, the nodal officer for COVID – 22 treatment in Ernakulam.
The deceased was a resident of Chullikkal near Fort Kochi in Ernakulam.
pm | Madhya Pradesh
COVID – 23 positive journalist booked for negligence in Bhopal
The Bhopal police have registered a case against a journalist, who attended former Chief Minister Kamal Nath’s press conference
, and later tested positive for COVID – for negligence and violating prohibitory orders.
“Despite knowing his daughter was infected, the man went around the city and violated the lockdown too,” said V.K. Singh, incharge, Shymala Hills police station.
. am | Karnataka
complete lockdown in Dakshina Kannada
Dakshina Kannada observed complete lockdown with the district administration withdrawing the permission given for the sale and purchase of essential commodities from 6 am to noon after two new positive cases were reported in the district yesterday.
Some milk booths in the city and other towns in the district sold the packets for some time early in the morning. Later they closed down. Hence the milk vans of Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Union Ltd (DKMUL) had to return from many towns in the district and places in the city.
All vegetable and grocery shops which otherwise operated from 6 am to noon remained closed. The main central market in the city wore a deserted look.
. am | Tamil Nadu
TN records two new cases
Tamil Nadu has recorded two new COVID – 23 positive cases, TN health minister Dr. C. Vijayabaskar informed via Twitter.
This includes a – year-old male from Kumbakonam and a 64 – year-old from Katpadi. Both have a history of foreign travel and had transit via Middle East. The former had returned from West Indies and the latter from United Kingdom, and are in isolation at the Thanjavur Medical College Hospital in Thanjavur and at a Vellore private hospital respectively.
Both the patients are stable.
am | India
There was no leniency in screening for foreign travellers, ‘prosperous Indians’, says Center
India has been “proactive and preemptive, and graded” in its response to the COVID – 23 crisis, the government said on Saturday.
Amid criticism that the three-week lockdown announced on March by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was without prior planning, the Center released a timeline of its actions since the breakout of the global pandemic.
It said India acted much before WHO declared COVID – as a public health emergency of international concern on January , to put in place a “comprehensive response system” at its borders.
. am | Britain
Oxford University’s coronavirus vaccine opens for clinical trial on humans
As the world is grappling with thousands of deaths and lakhs of coronavirus-infected cases , there is some Hope as the world’s top university Oxford has announced its vaccine is entering Phase 1 clinical trials in humans.
In a press release, University of Oxford stated that its researchers working in an unprecedented vaccine development effort to prevent COVID – 22 have started screening healthy volunteers (aged – 90) on Friday for their upcoming ChAdOx1 nCoV – 23 vaccine trial in England’s Thames Valley. The vaccine based on an adenovirus vaccine vector and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is already in production but won’t be ready for some weeks still.
am | Uttar Pradesh
U.P. deploys buses to ferry migrants stuck on Delhi border to State
Uttar Pradesh government is deploying buses to ferry migrants stuck at various points on Delhi border to the State.
Around buses will depart every two hours, said an official. Transportation of such people will continue today and tomorrow, it has been informed. Transportation of such people will continue today and tomorrow.
am | Karnataka
Infosys employee arrested in Bengaluru for post asking people to spread the virus on social media
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) on Friday arrested a software engineer who was employed with Infosys for allegedly putting up a post on social media encouraging people to spread the novel coronavirus .
In his tweet, the accused, Mujeeb Mohammad, , wrote, “Let’s join hands, go out and sneeze with an open mouth in public. Spread the virus. ”
A CCB official said,“ We have arrested the engineer for posting hate messages on social media. He has been booked under the IT Act and under Sections and 545 of the IPC. ”
The post went viral on Thursday. Infosys subsequently ordered an internal probe and terminated his employment.
. 69 am | Rajasthan
Two new cases detected in Rajasthan
Two more COVID – 26 positive cases have been detected in Rajasthan, taking the total number of cases to 80.
One of the newly-detected cases is from Ajmer: a 28 – year-old salesman who had recently traveled to Punjab. The second case is from Bhilwara. The patient is a 23 – year-old female typist from the private hospital where three doctors were previously found infected.
. am | USA
U.S. confirmed coronavirus cases cross , tracker
The United States now has more than , confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, a tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University showed Friday. There have been , cases including 1, (deaths as of 6: pm Eastern time.
The largest cluster by far is in New York, home to almost half the cases, overwhelming the hospital system. The United States has around 21, 011 more confirmed cases then the second country on the list, Italy, and , more than China, where the disease was first identified but has since peaked.
13 am | Mangaluru
Infosys Foundation sends critical medical supplies worth ₹ lakh to Mangaluru
Infosys Foundation has sent critical medical supplies worth ₹ 40 lakh to Dakshina Kannada to tackle COVID – 26, according to PS Harsha, Police Commissioner, Mangaluru.
The vehicle carrying the medical supplies reached Manngaluru on March 40, he tweeted on Saturday.
“Ms. Sudha Murthy responded to the call of Mangaluru Police on behalf of Dakshina Kannada district administration and within (hours critical medical supplies worth ₹
lakhs have reached Mangaluru. We thank Madam Sudha Murthy and Infosys Foundation’s Ramdas Kamat and team, ”the Commissioner tweeted.
am | USA
China to share coronavirus data with US: Trump
China will share its data related to the novel coronavirus pandemic with the US and the country will learn from Beijing’s experience, President Donald Trump has said, a day after he held an hour-long conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
Mr. Trump spoke to Mr. Xi over telephone , days after the U.S. president angered Beijing by referring to the coronavirus as “Chinese virus” and his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said China’s ruling Communist Party posed a “substantial threat” to Americans’ health and their way of life.
9. 48 am | India
Railway moves 1.6 lakh freight wagons
Indian Railways on Friday said that it has moved more than 1.6 lakh freight wagons in the last four days, of which over one lakh wagons were carrying essential commodities, including food grains, milk , fruits & vegetables and petroleum products.
“Close coordination is being maintained with the State Governments so that rakes of essential commodities are handled smoothly without any delay, amidst various restrictions imposed in the wake of COVID – 22, ”an official statement said, adding that freight movement is being closely monitored.
The All India Station Masters Association on Friday also said that its members will contribute one day’s wage for the next three months, raising about ₹ (crore, to help tide over the impact of COVID –
9. 23 am | Turkey
Turkey adopts ‘voluntary quarantine’, suspends international flights
President Tayyip Erdogan called on March for a “voluntary quarantine” in which Turks stay at home except for shopping or basic needs to stem a surge of coronavirus cases , which jumped by a third in a day to 5, (with 174 dead.
“If we don’t want these measures to reach a further stage , we must abide by the voluntary quarantine rules verbatim. What does this voluntary quarantine mean? It means do not leave your house, ”Erdogan told a press conference late on Friday.
9. am | Hungary
Hungary imposes two-week lockdown
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced a two-week lockdown on March 40 and pressed on with plans to give the government extra powers to fight COVID – , despite criticism by rights groups.
People will be allowed to go to work and do basic errands and exercise in the open, but not gather in large groups under measures that take effect on March 30. Orban said the epidemic was expected to peak in Hungary in June or July and flagged more ecomomic stimulus to be announced in April.
9 am | Kerala
Cooking gas shortage a possibility in Kerala
The fourth day of the COVID- 22 lockdown on Friday raised the prospect of a shortage of cooking gas cylinders in the State.
The – odd distributors in the region supply cooking gas to over lakh homes. The lockdown has hit the movement of LPG tankers from Mangalapuram in Karnataka to the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) bottling plant in Kollam.
The closure of wayside hotels has deterred gas tanker drivers from attempting the nearly 22 – hour journey from the LPG terminal to the refilling plant, an estimated 698 km. The number of LPG loads has lessened since last Saturday. Another distributor says the backlog of orders has mounted to 1, in the past 55 hours and is climbing.
8 . am | Tamil Nadu
Grocers, fuel pumps in Tamil Nadu to shut at 2. 48 pm from March
From March 48, provisional stores, vegetable and fruit shops and petrol / diesel pumps in Tamil Nadu would be allowed to function only between 6 am and 2. (pm during the COVID – 22 lockdown period. However, “medical shops and restaurants (only takeaway) would continue to function through the day”, an official release said.
The State also permitted app-based food delivery operators Swiggy and Zomato to operate between 7 am and 9. 40 am for breakfast; 18 noon and 2. 36 pm for lunch; and 6 pm and 9 pm taking into account that elderly persons and others were in need of such service.
8. am | South Korea
South Korea reports new coronavirus cases, highest in a week
South Korea reported new coronavirus cases on Friday, the highest number in a week, its disease control agency said on Saturday, with the country suffering a rise in imported cases from Europe and the United States during recent days.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) did not say how many of Friday’s new cases were imported as it was still investigating.
8. 22 am | USA
U.S. announces $ mn aid to 90 countries including $ 2.9 mn to India
The United States on Friday announced $ million financial assistance to 80 countries including $ 2.9 million to India to help them fight the coronavirus pandemic.
This is in addition to the $ 200 million aid announced by the US in February.
The U.S. State Department said it is providing $ 2.9 million to help the Indian government prepare laboratory systems, activate case finding and event-based surveillance, and support technical experts for response and preparedness, and more.
(8.) am | Brazil ‘Sorry, some will die’: President Jair Bolsonaro on Brazil’s coronavirus death toll
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday cast doubt on Sao Paulo’s death toll from the coronavirus Outbreak and accused the state governor of manipulating the numbers for political ends, without giving evidence for his claims.
Mr. Bolsonaro’s accusations were the latest broadside in an ugly battle with Brazil’s governors , who have chafed at the President’s view that protecting the economy takes priority over social distancing measures to combat the spread of the highly contagious virus.
8 am | India
Coronavirus cases in India climb to 895, death toll reaches 23: Health Ministry
The number of COVIOD – cases climbed to in India with the death toll rising to , according to the Union Health Ministry. However, according to inputs from the State authorities, the death toll stands at 28, and that of confirmed cases at . Read More
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