Coronavirus Outbreak Highlights: Haryana to impose 12-hour curfew between 7 pm and 7 am from Monday; state has reported 442 cases

Coronavirus Outbreak Updates: Curfew will be imposed in Haryana from 7 pm to 7 am with effect from May 4, state Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora said on Sunday.

12 more Border Security Force (BSF) personnel have tested coronavirus positive in Tripura. Total number of positive cases in BSF stands at 54 now including 14 in Tripura.

Madhya Pradesh reported 49 positive  and six deaths on Sunday, taking the state total to 2,837, according to a bulletin released by the state health department.

 678 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in Maharashtra , taking the state tally to 12,974. 27 people died of the disease, taking the death count to 548, according to a bulletin issued by the state health department.

Government deploys central teams in 20 districts with heavy case load of COVID-19 to help states in implementation of containment measures.

Mumbai reports 441 fresh infections,  21 deaths, taking the total number of cases to 8,613 and deaths to 343. Total 1804 patients discharged till date, said the Public Health Department of Mumbai.

Gujarat on Sunday reported 374 new COVID-19 cases and 28 deaths, which is the highest single-day increase in deaths so far, a Health department official said.

 Tamil Nadu reports one COVID-19 death, 266 fresh infections, pushing total number of coronavirus cases to 3,023, according to the state health department.

Punjab reports 331 new cases, pushing total number of cases over 1,100, ANI quotes the state health department as saying. Out of the total cases,  117 have been cured while 21 others succumbed to the infection and the number of active cases stands at 964.

Total number of COVID-19 positive cases in India rises to 40,263 including 28,070 active cases, 10,887 cured/discharged/migrated and 1,306 deaths, according to the 5 pm update issued by the Union health ministry.

All out-patient departments in  hospitals in Goa, including the nodal GMCH, will be allowed to function from Wednesday with 50 percent staff from Wednesday.

No new infections have been found in Kerala in on Sunday. Meanwhile, one more person has been cured of the disease taking the number of recoveries to 401. The number of active cases in the state now stands at 95.

 17 more people from a building in Delhi's Kapashera have tested positive for COVID-19. Total 58 positive cases have been reported from the building till date.The building was sealed on 19 April after a person was found to be coronavirus positive, ANI quotes the Office of DM Delhi South-West as saying.

Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren announced that lockdown will continue in Jharkhand till 17 May and the relaxations prescribed by the Centre won't be implemented in the state.

 The Maharashtra government has decided to allow standalone shops including liquor shops to open in Red Zones, including in Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Pune Metropolitan Region. However, these shops wont be permitted to function in areas marked as containment zones.

One more person tested positive for COVID-19 at AIIMS, Rishikesh on Sunday, officials said. This is the sixth case of coronavirus at the hospital in the last nine days.

The latest case is that of a 29-year-old nursing officer at the facility, nodal officer for coronavirus cases at the hospital Madhur Uniyal said.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Haryana climbed to 421 on Sunday, said the state health department. The figure includes 174 active cases.

So far, the state has registered five deaths while, the COVID-19 recovery rate stood at 57.5 percent with 242 patients being dicharged.

Of the 130 Sikh pilgrims who returned from Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra, on Sunday to Punjab, 63 have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Nawanshahr, said Vinay Bulani, Deputy Commissioner.

Over 10,000 COVID-19 patients were discharged across the nation on Sunday, said Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan. "Those still admitted at hospitals are on the road to recovery," he said.

The health minister also claimed that India's mortality rate was the lowest across the world at 3.2 percent.

The current doubling rate for COVID-19 cases has improved to 12 days as against 10.5 days in the last two weeks, while the mortality rate has been recorded at 3.2 percent, said Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan.

After a staff of one of the top officers of CRPF tested positive for coronavirus, the CRPF headquarters in Delhi was sealed for sanitisation till further orders.

The number of coronavirus cases rose to 360 in Maharashtra's Nashik district after 27 more people tested positive for the viral disease, the district administration said on Sunday.

With this, 324 COVID-19 cases have so far been reported from Malegaon town, 16 from Nashik city and 17 from other parts of the district.

In the past 24 hours, 2,644 new COVID-19 positive cases and 83 more deaths were registered across the nation, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Confirmed cases climbed to 39,980 with 28,046 active cases. The COVID-19 recovery rate was at 26.6 percent after 10,633 patients were cured.

India recorded 39,980 COVID-19 positive cases after 2,644 more tested positive in the past 24 hours, according to the latest data released by the health ministry on Sunday.

After 83 more succumbed to the viral infection as of Sunday, the toll climbed to 1,301.

With 31 more individuals testing COVID-19 positive in Rajasthan, the total confirmed cases in the state climbed to 2,803 on Sunday till 9 am, said Health Department, Rajasthan.

Karnataka government charged an exorbitant price of Rs 1,300 from migrant workers for a Rs 300 bus ticket, according to media reports. The measure was taken as the buses would be plying at half capacity to ensure social distancing.

Speaking to The News Minute, a KSRTC official said, "The prices are three times higher because the buses are taking only 30 people even though there are 55 seats. We are charging the minimum fare of Rs 39 per kilometre and we are also counting the fare for the return trip the bus has to take to come back to Bengaluru."

After the issuance of Ministry of Home Affairs order on reopening of districts from 4 May, the Tripura government on Saturday said that there will be no prohibition in the functioning of government offices in green and orange zones. All categories of employees will work from office.

"A separate order will be issued for functioning of schools, colleges, educational/training/coaching institutions," read the state government's order.

The MHA has categorised six districts of Tripura as green zones and two districts as orange zones.

Nearly 500 Delhi students stranded at coaching hub Kota in Rajasthan during the lockdown reached Kashmere Gate ISBT in Delhi in 40 buses early Sunday morning.

Delhi's Transport minister Kailash Gahlot said the students would be sent to their homes from Kashmere Gate ISBT after medical tests.

Two more test positive in Ganjam dist taking confirmed cases in Odisha to 159 Odisha registered 159 COVID-19 cases on Sunday after two more individuals tested positive for the viral disease, according to the latest data released by the state health ministry. Both the cases were reported in Ganjam district.

The total number of districts affected by the novel coronavirus climbed to 16 in the state.

India on Saturday registered a record jump of 2,411 new coronavirus cases and  71 deaths, taking the total number of infections in the country to 37,776 and the toll to 1,223.

Meanwhile, migrant workers stranded in different states since the imposition of the lockdown began their journey homes in special 'shramik trains'.

Case count surges to 37,776, toll reaches 1,223

The number of COVID-19 cases in India rose to 27,776 while the toll climbed to 1,223, according to the UNion health ministry. PTI

According to the 5 pm update issued by the Union health ministry, the number of infections in the country jumped to 37,776 while the toll rose to 1,223. Over 10,000 persons have been cured of the disease and the number of active COVID-19 cases in the country stands at 26,535, it said.

Of the total fatalities, the highest have been reported in Maharashtra (485), followed by Gujarat (236), Madhya Pradesh (145) , Rajasthan (62) and Delhi (61).

Maharashtra continues to have the highest number of infections with 11,506 cases reported from the state. Gujarat has reported a total of 4,721 cases, followed by Delhi (3,738), Madhya Pradesh (2,719) and Rajasthan (2,666).

According to the Uttar Pradesh health department, 127 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in the state on Saturday, pushing the number of confirmed cases to 2,455. Forty-three deaths have so far been reported and 656 patients treated and discharged from hospitals. So far, COVID-19 cases have been reported in 64 of the 75 districts in the state, officials said.

In Delhi, 68 more personnel attached to a CRPF battalion tested positive for the novel coronavirus, taking the total number of those afflicted in the battalion to 122. A total of 127 CRPF personnel have so far contracted the disease, including one death and one recovery, ANI quoted the CRPF as saying.

In Maharashtra, as many as 56 persons were discharged from a civic-run hospital in Thane's Mira Bhayander area at the same time, including a three-year-old girl and three septuagenarians.

Meanwhile, 20 visitors to the Gurdwara Langar Sahib in Nanded tested positive for the disease. The gurdwara had been shut on Friday after several pilgrims from Punjab, who returned to their state after visiting this shrine, tested coronavirus positive, officials had said.

On Saturday, Kerala, too, reported two positive cases — one from Wayanad and one from Kannur — taking the total number of cases in the state to 499. With Wayanad reporting a positive case after a month, the district was moved from the green to the orange zone, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

Barber shops, home delivery of non-essential items allowed in green and orange zones, clarifies MHA

A day after issuing fresh guidelines for the lockdown, the Ministry of Home Affairs clarified that barber shops and salons will be allowed to open in green and orange zones during the third phase of the lockdown beginning 4 May, besides sale of non-essential items by e-commerce platforms.

However, barber shops, saloons will continue to be prohibited in red zones and  e-commerce companies are allowed to sell only essential commodities in such areas, said the ministry.

The MHA on Friday, while extending the lockdown for two more weeks till 17 May, had lifted many restrictions in green and orange zones.

Sale of liquor is allowed in non containment areas of green, orange and red zones through stand alone shops and not in malls or shopping complexes, it further clarified.

In liquor shops, customers will have to maintain minimum six feet distance from each other, and also ensure that not more than five persons are present at one time at the shop.

On allowing domestic maids to work in red zones, a home ministry official said the RWAs should take a call  regarding allowing the movement of outsiders. But health protocols have to be maintained by domestic helps as well as employers, and the responsibility lies with the person who employs maids in case of any mishaps.

According to the home ministry, travel by road (inter-state), rail and air and metro are banned across the country during the lockdown.

The home ministry, however, may give permission in special cases depending on the urgency.

According to ANI, the ministry added that in orange zones, inter-district  and intra-district plying of buses remains prohibited. Taxis and cab aggregators are allowed to ply, with a restriction of two passengers apart from the driver in each vehicle only.  Inter-district movement of private cars in such zones is allowed only for permitted activities, with maximum two passengers, besides the driver.

MMR, Pune 'no-go', says Maharashtra govt

Based on the orders issued by the Centre, states also issued guideline for the third phase on the nationwide lockdown. The Maharashtra government said that in the cities with police commissionerates, a concerned deputy commissioner of police (DCP) will have the power to allow inter-state or inter-district journey. But the movement of people will not be allowed between the areas under Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority and other parts of the state during lockdown, it said.

The Karnataka government, too issued revised guidelines which will come into force from 4 May.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government launched an exercise to open liquor shops in the National Capital in accordance with the latest guidelines issued by the home ministry.

The excise department has directed four government-run agencies, which are responsible to sell liquor in the city, to identify such outlets which fulfil all conditions prescribed by the  MHA.

DCGA extends suspension of flights till 17 May

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)  issued a circular to extend the suspension of domestic and international commercial flight operations till 17 May. However, the restriction shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by the DGCA.

Migrant workers head back in 'shramik trains'

A health worker sanitizes migrants who have arrived from Jaipur by 'Shramik Special' train at Danapur junction in Patna. PTI

The first 'Shramik Special' train carrying 1,187 stranded migrant labourers from Jaipur reached the Danapur railway station in Patna on Saturday afternoon.

Another special train train carrying over 300 stranded labourers from Nashik in Maharashtra reached Misrod Station on the outskirts of Bhopal.

"We have started screening these passengers brought here from Nashik in the special train. After that, they will be sent to their respective towns in different buses," a district administration officer told PTI.

This is the first special train which reached Bhopal after the Centre's announcement to run such services to facilitate the stranded labourers and workers.

A special train with 847 migrants also departed for Lucknow from Nashik in around 10 am on Saturday, said the Central Railway. Similar 'Shramik trains' are also set to provide connectivity between states such as Gujarat and Uttra Pradesh, Kerala and Jharkhand, among others.

However, the problems faced by migrant workers continued to make it to the headlines with a migrant worker cycling from his workplace in Delhi to home in Bihar dying in UP's Saharanpur.

Dharamveer, along with a few other labourers, had started their journey from Delhi to Khagaria district in Bihar on bicycles on 28 April, PTI quotes police as saying.

"On Friday night, they halted on the Delhi-Lucknow highway in Shahjahanpur. When the condition of Dharamveer deteriorated, the labourers took him to the medical college where he was declared brought dead," said Circle Officer (city) Praveen Kumar.

In another case, 18 people, including 14 migrant labourers, were found to be travelling inside a cement mixer from Maharashtra to Uttar Pradesh. "During the routine check-up at Panth Piplai village, about 35 kilometres from Indore, we stopped a truck laden with a cement-mixer on suspicion. After opening the lid, we found 18 people inside," Traffic Police sub-inspector Amit Kumar Yadav told PTI.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for sending "guest workers" in the state to their home states by road or rail. The state government appointed nodal officers in charge of workers for different states and said the the prior approval of recipient states was necessary for sending back the stranded workers.

Modi holds review meeting on agricultural reforms, MSMEs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi  deliberated on ways to reform the agriculture sector with emphasis on agriculture marketing, access of farmers to institutional credit and freeing the sector of various restrictions with appropriate backing of laws.

The government has maintained that the country's farm sector is functioning smoothly despite the COVID-19 lockdown and there will not be much impact on its growth in the current fiscal, unlike other sectors.

The pros and cons of bio-technological developments in crops or enhancement of productivity and reduction in input costs was also deliberated, an official statement said.

Concessional credit flow to strengthen agriculture infrastructure, special Kisan Credit Card saturation drive for PM-Kisan beneficiaries and facilitating inter and intra-state trade of agriculture produce to ensure fairest return to farmers were some of the other important areas covered, the statement said.

Developing eNAM or the National Agriculture Market into a "platform of platforms" to enable e-commerce was one of the important topics of discussion on Saturday.

The prime minister also held a meeting to discuss ways to strengthen the MSME sector.

With inputs from agencies