Coronavirus India Roundup April 20: Over 500 deaths, Goa declared COVID-19 free, states ease out of lockdown

In the latest press briefing, Lav Agarwal of the Health Ministry said that the doubling rate of infections is now 7.5 days. A total of 1,553 cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours, along with 36 deaths. The death toll is now at 559 and the total number of cases has reached 17,656. He added that 15% of all cases turn severe, and 5% become critical.   Further, no new cases have been reported in 59 of the affected districts in the last 14 days. Goa has also been declared COVID-19 free by the health ministry.   [caption id=“attachment_8189381” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AP[/caption] On April 19, N. Biren Singh, Chief Minister, Manipur shared on Twitter that Manipur was COVID-19 free as well. The only two patients confirmed there have since fully recovered.  

Sixteen close contacts of pizza delivery man test negative  

A pizza delivery man tested positive for COVID-19 on April 14, triggering a scare for those he delivered to as well as his close contacts. Since then, 72 families in the south Delhi area have been quarantined.   According to local officials, 16 close contacts of the man, other food delivery employees, have tested negative. They were considered high risk since they were in closer contact with him; the families only interacted with him in passing if at all.   The 72 families will continue to be under home quarantine and will be tested should symptoms arise.

Yogi Adityanath’s father passes away; he won’t perform last rites  

The UP CM’s father, Anand Singh Bisht, passed away on Saturday. The CM will not perform last rites given the current situation and to set an example for the state. He also urged his family to keep attendance to a minimum for the ceremonies.

Owner of cancer hospital booked following disparaging remarks against Muslims

Dr Amit Jain, of Valentis Cancer Hospital, has been booked under IPC sections 188 (disobeying order), 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) after reports alleging discriminatory actions against Muslims were reported to the police. The hospital had issued a notice saying that only those Muslims that test COVID-19 negative would be admitted to the hospital. Dr Jain has said that the notice was misinterpreted and some ‘typos’ lead to confusion.

How various states plan to partially lift restrictions  

The centre has left it to state and local authorities to decide on emergence from the lockdown. Varying degrees of freedom has been granted in areas not considered hotspots or containment zones. Here is how some states have responded:   Telangana: The Telangana government has taken the stringent approach of extending the lockdown until the 7th of May, four days longer than the extended national lockdown. This means that other than essential services, the economy won’t be reopened. Further, food delivery services have been shut starting today as well. Similarly, the  Tamil Nadu  government said it would not lift restrictions until the 3rd of May.   Maharashtra: While Mumbai will remain under strict lockdown, given the large number of cases, some parts of Maharashtra that are designated green and orange zones will permit some levels of economic activity. Travel across districts in the state remains prohibited - exceptions for labour will be at the discretion of local authorities. UP and Haryana: Both the state CMs said that District Magistrates will take decisions based on the prevailing situations in the area. They will decide which districts will open and decide what laws will be followed. In the case of Haryana, 100 % of government workers in the A and B categories will return to work, whereas 33% in C and D will report to work in rotation.   For more information, read our article on   When is an area considered a hot spot? Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.