New Delhi: Coronavirus cases are growing rapidly in India and across the world. Gauging the threat of Coronavirus, many states in India imposed total lockdown as a preventive measure. Also, many states like Punjab and Maharashtra imposed a curfew. Both Centre and state governments are working hard to curb it.
The coronavirus which had first emerged in China’s Wuhan city in December last year and has now spread to across many countries in the world.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8 pm tonight on issues relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is Modi’s second address to countrymen in less than a week as India is ramping up efforts to curtail the spread of the highly contagious virus.
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19:21 IST: Egypt imposes curfew to stop COVID-19 from spreading
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Tuesday declared a curfew from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time (17:00 to 04:00 GMT) starting on Wednesday to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“We are introducing a ban on the citizens’ movement throughout the country from 19:00 to 06:00,” Madbouly said during a press conference, adding that the measure will be in effect for two weeks starting on Wednesday and that violators will be punished per the country’s law on emergency situations. According to the prime minister, public transportation and taxis will cease functioning as well.
He also specified that from now on all shops and malls will be closed from 5 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time (15:00 to 04:00 GMT) and remain completely closed on Fridays and Saturdays.
19:04 IST: Six more COVID-19 positive cases in Maharashtra
Six more people have tested positive for coronavirus in Maharashtra, taking the total count in the state on Tuesday to 107.
According to the state health department, five people have been tested positive in Mumbai and a positive case has been reported from Ahmednagar. BMC Health Department said that eight positive patients who were asymptomatic, and two cases in which consecutive reports had come negative for COVID-19, were being discharged on Tuesday.
18:13 IST: Combating COVID-19: States asked to set up dedicated hospitals for coronavirus patients
Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Tuesday said the States need to set up dedicated hospitals for COVID-19 patients.
Briefing media persons here today, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry, said: “We have asked states to make dedicated COVID-19 hospitals.” He said that as per the information received so far, the work has started at the state level in Gujarat, Assam, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the data compiled by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the total number of the infection-related death toll in the country rose to nine on Tuesday, while the total number of active cases reached 482.
18:12 IST: Germany confirms 4,700 coronavirus cases in 24 hours, toll at 141
ermany has confirmed over 4,700 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total to over 27,000, the Robert Koch Institute said on Tuesday.
The death toll reached 141 in the European country. On Monday, the official public health institute said that the country had so far detected 22,600 cases, of which 86 were fatalities.
According to the institute’s data, the largest numbers were recorded in North Rhine-Westphalia (6,318), Bavaria (5,754) and Baden-Wurttemberg (5,348). Berlin had 1,220 cases.
The n-tv count, meanwhile, shows that coronavirus cases in Germany have jumped to 30,174.
The German TV channel reports the same figures for Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg as those of the Robert Koch Institute but updates the statistics for North Rhine-Westphalia to 8,745.
18:01 IST: 112 cases registered against people for violating coronavirus curfew in Mumbai
The Mumbai Police on Tuesday registered 112 cases under Section 188 of IPC against individuals, pan stalls, hotels, hawkers and illegal transport for violating prohibitory orders in the wake of coronavirus outbreak in the country.
The tally of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra reached 101 on Tuesday with three new cases in Pune and one in Satara, the state’s health department said. The Maharashtra government has announced a curfew in the
17:52 IST: Combating COVID-19: Complete lockdown in West Bengal till March 31
West Bengal has been put under complete lockdown from 5 pm today to March 31, said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
“The entire West Bengal has been put under lockdown from 5 pm today till March 31,” said Chief Minister Banerjee at Nabanna during a press conference. She said that a ‘Procheshta Scheme’ has also been launched under which the people who have lost their income will get Rs 1,000. To get assistance under the scheme, the people need to apply from April 15 to April 30.
“The government will be giving free ration to the poor for the next six months,” she added.
Speaking about crowding outside grocery shops and banks, Banerjee said that the people should maintain a distance between each other to avoid getting infected with the coronavirus.
17:42 IST: LS speaker contributes month’s salary to PM Relief Fund to fight coronavirus
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday said he is contributing one month’s salary to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund set up to fight the impact of coronavirus.
“Contributing one month’s salary to the PM Relief Fund setup to fight COVID-19. We’re all in this together,” the speaker said in a tweet. The Speaker had on Monday said that social distancing was the way to deal with the threat posed by coronavirus and urged Lok Sabha MPs to lead by example in following directions of authorities as they go to their constituencies.
Parliament was adjourned sine die on Monday nearly two weeks before the scheduled end of budget session.
17:26 IST: Combatting COVID-19: MP releases funds for Ballia, Ghazipur
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Virendra Singh has released Rs 25 lakh to Ballia and Rs 10 lakh to Ghazipur district for purchasing masks, sanitizers and medicines from his MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) fund, to fight coronavirus.
“The coronavirus infection has gripped the entire world. Please accept Rs 10 lakh from my MPLAD fund for the purchase of hand sanitizer, masks, medicines etc. Feel free to approach me in case of any need,” Singh wrote in a letter addressed to the district administration of Ghazipur. In a second letter, addressed to the district administration of Ballia, the MP wrote, “In order to purchase of hand sanitizer, masks, medicines and other gears to contain the infection, I request you to accept Rs 25 lakh from my MPLAD fund. Please feel free to approach me whenever needed.”
Two more persons, with a travel history to the Middle East, were tested positive for coronavirus in Lucknow on Monday, taking the total count to 33 in Uttar Pradesh.
The state government has ordered a lockdown to contain the further spread of the global pandemic.
17:14 IST: Coronavirus: UP govt issues new guidelines for lockdown period
The Uttar Pradesh government has issued a fresh set of guidelines for the lockdown period till March 31.
In its new notice, the Yogi Adityanath led government has stated that any person moving out of the districts where lockdown has been imposed or entering the district will now have to take permission from the local authorities. “Before giving entry at the border of the districts, medical examination will be conducted. The emergency cases will only be allowed to enter the districts.”
“The data of all the private hospitals will be acquired by the government soon and 200 isolation centres will be made in the state soon.”
The movement of all those who have been designated as part of the essential services will not be stopped. This includes vegetable vendors and milk suppliers.
Grocery shops will be allowed to open from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
16:51 IST: Sonia writes to PM Modi, seeks emergency welfare measures for construction workers
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to roll out “emergency welfare measures” for the construction sector workers.
Referring to the “extraordinary circumstance” due to COVID-19, Gandhi in a letter to Prime Minister Modi on Monday requested him “to consider advising the State Building and Other Construction Worker’s Welfare Boards to roll out emergency welfare measures, particularly wage support, to the construction workers who are in distress.” “We are in the midst of the worst global pandemic. This has necessitated stringent measures for containment and management of COVID-19 transmission. These measures have led to widespread economic disruptions that had a debilitating impact on the informal sector,” Gandhi has added in the letter.
The Congress president said that several countries around the world, most notably Canada, have announced wage subsidy measures as a part of their COVID-19 Economic Response Plan.
16:39 IST: Punjab Vigilance Bureau ties up with District Administration to combat COVID-19
The Vigilance Bureau (VB) of Punjab has directed its all officers to co-ordinate with the district administration and the district police and offer all assistance in the fight against COVID-19.
“VB chief director BK Uppal has directed all officers to tie up with the district administration and the district police to offer all cooperation and assistance against the COVID-19,” said a spokesperson. Uppal has also directed its officers to keep a check on hoarding or black marketing of essential goods.
VB officers have also decided to contribute their one day salary to the CM’s Relief Fund to fight the deadly virus.
16:28 IST: 65-year-old COVID-19 patient passes away in Mumbai
A 65-year-old coronavirus patient passed away at Mumbai’s Kasturba Hospital on Monday.
The patient recently returned from the United Arab Emirates. According to the data compiled by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the total number of infection-related death toll in the country rose to nine on Tuesday, while the total number of active cases reached 482.
16:16 IST: Masks worth Rs 15 crore kept for black marketing seized in Maharashtra, 4 held
Four people were arrested and 25 lakh masks, including 3 lakh N95 masks, with total worth Rs 15 crore kept for black marketing, were seized from godowns here in Andheri and Bhiwani, said Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday.
“Police have seized 25 lakh masks from godowns in Andheri and Bhiwandi including 3 lakh N95 masks with total worth Rs 15 crore. Masks were stored for black marketing,” Deshmukh told ANI here. While four men have been arrested under the Essential Commodity Act, two are absconding, he said.
The raid comes at a time when masks are in heavy demand in the country since novel coronavirus cases started emerging in the country.
16:01 IST: Three new COVID-19 cases in Chennai, TN tally reaches 15
Three new cases of COVID-19, all with foreign travel history, have been reported in Chennai on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in Tamil Nadu to 15.
“A 74-year-old male and a 52-year-old female who returned from the USA are afflicted by the coronavirus. A 25-year-old female who returned from Switzerland is also infected. They are residents of Porur, Purasaivakkam, Keelkattalai respectively,” said Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar. “The patients are in isolation and are stable,” he added.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami on Monday said that restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC will be imposed in the state till March 31 in the wake of surging cases of COVID-19 in the country. The order will come into effect from today at 6 pm.
13:56 IST: First case of COVID-19 in UP’s Shamli, district to observe complete lockdown
The Shamli district in Saharanpur division of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday reported its first positive case of COVID-19, a 33-year-old man with travel history to Dubai.
The district administration has appealed to people to strictly observe lockdown, which has been imposed from 9 am this morning and said strict action would be taken against violators.
The man, a native of Kairana, had returned from Dubai on March 15 and was under home quarantine since then. The patient only complained of sore throat.
“This morning the first positive case of coronavirus was confirmed in Kairana, Shamli. This is the first case in Saharanpur division. People are requested to stay inside their homes and follow the orders of the district administration, otherwise, very strict steps will be taken by the administration which will be heavy on the violators,” said Saharanpur Commissioner.
13:43 IST: Two COVID-19 patients cured in Ladakh, confirmed cases reduce to 11
Two persons, who had tested positive for COVID-19 in Ladakh, have been completely cured and now the total count for patients infected with the infection in the Union territory has reduced to 11.
“Two patients in Ladakh who tested positive for COVID-19 have been completely cured. Total COVID-19 positive cases in Ladakh now stands at 11,” the Ladakh administration said. On Monday, 16 fresh samples of suspected cases had tested negative.
Among the 16 samples, 12 were from Kargil while the other four were from Leh, said Rigzin Samphel, Commissioner Secretary, Ladakh.
The Union Territory has been placed under lockdown till March 31 to check the spread of coronavirus.
13:34 IST: Amid growing Coronavirus cases in India, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be holding a press conference at 2 pm today on statutory and regulatory compliance matters.
13:29 IST: Govt working to augment supply of protective gears for health workers
The Central government on Tuesday said that the export ban on body coveralls and N-95 Masks has been in force since 31st January and that it is continuously working with stakeholders to streamline the supply chain of protective gears required by healthcare professionals to fight the coronavirus spread.
“It is unfortunate that certain sections of the media are spreading misinformation on the efforts of the government in augmenting the supplies of body coveralls, N-95 Masks, and 2-ply/3-ply surgical masks required for healthcare professionals dealing COVID-19 cases,” an official statement by the Ministry of Textile read.
13:05 IST: Covid-19: Lockdown in entire Odisha till March 29
The Odisha Government on Tuesday decided to lockdown the entire state till March 29 as a precautionary measure against the spread of coronavirus.
Subroto Bagchi, Odisha Government Spokesperson on COVID-19. said that all 30 districts of the state will be under lockdown till March 29. Earlier on Monday, the state government had extended the lockdown from five to 14 districts.
The Odisha administration has also decided to mark with stickers the houses of those who have been advised home quarantine.
12:36 IST: No new COVID-19 case in Delhi in last 24 hours: Arvind Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said that no new case of coronavirus has come to light in the national capital in the last 24 hours.
“No new coronavirus case in Delhi in the last 24 hours. Five people have recovered after the treatment. But this is not the time to be happy. Now the biggest challenge is not to let the situation go out of control. For this, we all need your support,” he said on Twitter.
12:36 IST: Hero Cycles allocates Rs 100 crore contingency fund to mitigate impact of COVID-19
With the COVID-19 outbreak expected to unleash long-term economic consequences, Hero Cycles on Tuesday said it is setting aside Rs 100 crore as a contingency fund to address and mitigate its impact on partners and the community at large.
The contingency fund will be put to use as and when required to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 situation on employees, suppliers, customers and communities across India, it said in a statement. The company has also reached out to state governments where it has major facilities (Punjab, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh) to extend any help required by authorities in addressing the crisis.
Hero Motor Company’s international subsidiaries are undertaking a similar exercise in Britain and Germany where they have a significant presence.
12:36 IST: 255 arrested for violating COVID-19 lockdown in Kolkata
The Kolkata Police on Tuesday said at least 255 persons were arrested yesterday for violating restriction orders imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus infection.
Those arrested have been prosecuted under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, the police said. On Sunday, the Mamata Banerjee-government announced a lockdown in the state including rural and urban areas till March 27.
During the lockdown, all shops, commercial establishments, offices and factories, workshops, godowns etc will close their operations except essential services.
The order also read that the foreign returnees will have to remain under strict home quarantine for a period as decided by local health authorities.
12:38 IST: Two test positive for COVID-19 in Gujarat, total count reaches 33
With two fresh cases of novel coronavirus, the total number of people affected by COVID-19 in Gujarat has now risen to 33, according to state Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi.
“Two more persons have been tested positive for coronavirus in Gujarat. With this, the total number of Coronavirus patients in the state rise to 33,” Ravi said at a press conference here. She informed that 27,000 people in the state who have recent travel history are being surveyed.
On Tuesday, 52 samples to be tested for coronavirus were collected in the state.
Moreover, the state government is preparing four hospitals to deal with COVID-19 cases.
12:18 IST: COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra rise to 101
The tally of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra reached 101 on Tuesday with three new cases in Pune and one in Satara, the state’s health department said.
The Maharashtra government has announced a curfew in the state in the backdrop of coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that all district borders, along with the state borders, will also be sealed to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the districts which are not affected by it
However, essential goods will remain available to the public amid such times of a health crisis.
11:59 IST: Complete lockdown in 32 states, UTs across country due to COVID-19
Thirty-two states and Union Territories (UTs) have announced complete lockdown to check the spread of the coronavirus in the country, informed the Central government on Tuesday.
There is a complete lockdown in as many as 560 districts of the country affecting several hundred million people. Earlier, the complete lockdown was imposed in 30 districts, as of now, almost the entire country is in lockdown to restrict public movement in an attempt to break the chain of transmission of coronavirus.
11:34 IST: Combating COVID-19: PM Modi to address the nation at 8 pm
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8 pm tonight on issues relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is Modi’s second address to countrymen in less than a week as India is ramping up efforts to curtail the spread of the highly contagious virus.
“Will address the nation at 8 PM today, 24th March 2020, on vital aspects relating to the menace of COVID-19,” read a tweet by the Prime Minister. In his previous address to the nation on Thursday, the Prime Minister had urged people to follow a ‘Janta Curfew’ on Sunday which was, by and large, a success as citizens remained indoors. As of now, almost the entire country is under lockdown to restrict public movement in a bid to break the chain of transmission of coronavirus.
Prime Minister Modi will also communicate with the people of his Lok Sabha constituency — Varanasi — on March 25 to discuss the situation arising out of coronavirus pandemic.
The number of coronavirus positive patients in India rose to 471 on Monday, as per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
The Central government has taken several steps to contain the spread of the virus, including stoppage of all incoming passenger traffic on 107 immigration check posts at all airports, seaports, land ports, rail ports, and river ports.
The Indian Railways has also cancelled all passenger train operations till March 31.
11:12 IST: 446 active COVID-19 cases in country: Health Ministry
The total number of active COVID-19 cases reported so far in the country stands at 446 while the number of people who have been cured or discharged stands at 36, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Nine people have died from the disease while one case has migrated, the Ministry further informed. The Central government has taken several steps to contain the rapid spread of the virus, including stoppage of all incoming passenger traffic on 107 immigration check posts at all airports, seaports, land ports, rail ports, and river ports.
There is a complete lockdown in as many as 548 districts of the country affecting several hundred million people.
11:17 IST: Chhattisgarh govt to provide additional rations, other relief to citizens
In a bid to provide relief to the poor amid an ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Chhattisgarh government on Tuesday issued a notification stating that rice and dal will be distributed to ration card holders, students and others.
The directive came on the instructions of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. School children will also be allocated their quota of grains as per the mid-day meal scheme during the holiday period. “Under this scheme, 40 days dry dal and rice will be supplied to the children of the school. Each and every student of primary school will be given 4 kg of rice and 800 grams of dal and 6 kg of rice and 1200 grams of dal will be distributed to each student of higher secondary school,” the circular read.
10:54 IST: Pak’s coronavirus tally at 882, 6 dead; Sindh remains worst-hit
The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Pakistan has risen to 882, including 394 in the southeastern province of Sindh, while six people, including a doctor, have died from the infection in the country.
In an effort to build a “national narrative” on the coronavirus, main opposition parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are planning to call an all political parties meeting via video link, where the significance of locking down the whole country would be underlined. The head of the Department for Infectious Diseases at Indus Hospital in Karachi, Dr Naseem Salahuddin, has painted a grim picture that the few hospitals equipped to handle COVID-19 cases in Karachi are either close to capacity or have shut their doors because they can’t handle the influx of suspected cases.
10:26 IST: Restrictions imposed on all movements along Varanasi borders
The city administration on Tuesday imposed restrictions on the movement of people as well as good and services along all borders of Varanasi amid a lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
Police barricaded roads and checked thoroughly those entering and leaving the city which is also regarded as the spiritual capital of India. Keeping in line with the Centre’s directives of lockdown in districts which have confirmed cases of coronavirus across the country, the administration in Varanasi has ordered special restrictions under Section 144 in the region from March 23.
09:45 IST: Will ensure delivery of essentials to people amid curfew, says Jalandhar DM
In view of the ongoing curfew, the supply of essential items including milk, vegetables and other essential commodities would be ensured for all residents, district magistrate Varinder Kumar Sharma said on Monday.
“The administration will allocate milk and vegetable vendors curfew passes to sell these essential items door to door and retail shops would not be allowed to open in any situation,” he added. This is being done to avoid crowding in residential areas and markets.
Verka Milk Plant and Mandi Department have been asked to ensure the distribution of milk and vegetables to vendors.
09:28 IST: COVID-19: 96 FIRs, 2,000 challans issued for flouting lockdown in Noida
As many as 96 First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered and more than 2000 challans issued in Noida yesterday for violation of lockdown rules, police said. The lockdown was imposed in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus, which has taken more than 14000 lives across the globe.
The FIRs were registered against people for allegedly flouting Section 144 and not adhering to the orders of the state government for staying indoors. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday stated that all borders adjoining Uttar Pradesh should be completely sealed.
